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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: lash · wound · bulb · ground · dip · band · calf · board

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. board — a committee
  5. bulb — for light
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. ground — the earth
  11. band — a ring
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ground — crushed
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ground — a position
  19. board — to get on
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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