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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 120 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: rule · stand · calf · track · band · craft · board · file

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stand — to bear
  5. track — a song
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. track — to keep track
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — boats
  10. rule — a law
  11. band — a music group
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. track — a path
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rule — government

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