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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 116 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: fan · sharp · rule · calf · cue · lean · press · board

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cue — a signal
  10. board — to get on
  11. lean — thin
  12. press — to push
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. lean — to bend
  16. press — a publisher
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — government
  20. board — a committee
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. press — newspapers

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