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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.

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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: jam · date · board · calf · clip · bore · fan · chest

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chest — a box
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bore — to tire
  5. chest — of your body
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. clip — a video
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. clip — for paper
  19. date — the fruit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. clip — to cut
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bore — to drill

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