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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
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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: sharp · hand · fan · club · rash · vault · rush · board

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. board — to get on
  3. club — a group
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rash — a series
  8. board — a committee
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. club — for dancing
  12. hand — in cards
  13. rash — hasty
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. hand — help
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. club — for golf
  20. sharp — clever
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — hurry
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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