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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 120 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: trunk · calf · fan · cell · spring · current · bear · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. current — happening now
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. spring — the season
  8. cell — a phone
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spring — of water
  15. current — of water
  16. cell — in biology
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. current — electric
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spring — a coil

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