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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: bowl · lean · board · bound · cold · craft · calf · roll

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cold — an illness
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bound — tied together
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — boats
  10. bound — obliged
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. cold — not warm
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. board — a committee
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. craft — a skill
  20. roll — a list
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bound — certain
  24. calf — of the leg

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