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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 116 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: rock · calf · board · rash · racket · wind · spring · firm

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — a committee
  4. firm — a company
  5. spring — of water
  6. wind — moving air
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. firm — steady
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rock — a stone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — decided
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. board — to get on
  22. wind — moving air
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rash — hasty

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