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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: cell · lie · chair · spring · calf · content · board · nail

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — of water
  4. board — to get on
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. spring — the season
  7. cell — a phone
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lie — to recline
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. content — happy
  20. board — a committee
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cell — in biology
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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