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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: fan · track · wound · calf · clip · craft · stem · board

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. track — a path
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. clip — for paper
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wound — an injury
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. board — a committee
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. track — to keep track
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. track — a song
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. clip — a video
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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