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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: calf · spell · board · craft · bulb · hand · rule · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. spell — magic
  4. fine — all right
  5. rule — government
  6. hand — in cards
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. spell — letters
  10. board — to get on
  11. rule — a law
  12. hand — help
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. board — a committee
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fine — high quality
  19. spell — a short time
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hand — part of the body

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