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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: rest · fan · board · calf · fall · prune · court · bulb

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. prune — to trim
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. court — of law
  11. fall — the season
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rest — a break
  14. court — of a king
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. court — for sport
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bulb — for light
  22. board — to get on
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bulb — of a plant

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