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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cold · plane · stand · calf · board · can · ball · key

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. key — the most important part
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. key — in music
  6. cold — not warm
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. board — to get on
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. board — a committee
  17. ball — a dance
  18. can — a tin
  19. ball — a great time
  20. plane — a tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. key — for a lock
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com