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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: calf · pound · rash · deal · rush · staff · board · hand

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rash — hasty
  3. staff — a stick
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — a committee
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. rash — a series
  24. deal — to handle

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