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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · band · bowl · roll · board · lash · track · calf

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. track — a song
  12. roll — a list
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rock — music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. band — a music group
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rock — a stone
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bowl — a dish

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