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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: kid · board · calf · cap · plane · content · fan · net

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. board — to get on
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. content — happy
  6. net — after costs
  7. cap — of ice
  8. board — a committee
  9. cap — a hat
  10. kid — to tease
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. content — the amount
  18. net — for catching
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. net — in sport
  22. kid — child
  23. plane — a tool
  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