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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: board · file · suit · calf · pop · trunk · clip · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. clip — to cut
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pop — music
  9. file — a tool
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. file — a document
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pop — to visit
  15. clip — for paper
  16. suit — clothes
  17. board — to get on
  18. spell — magic
  19. suit — in cards
  20. clip — a video
  21. pop — soda
  22. file — a line of people
  23. spell — letters
  24. suit — to fit

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