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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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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 · cell · track · mouse · board · band · lean · fall

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fall — the season
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. cell — a phone
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a ring
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. board — to get on
  12. cell — in biology
  13. track — a path
  14. band — a music group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — a song
  22. lean — to bend
  23. fall — to drop
  24. board — a committee

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