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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.

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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: object · board · cold · lash · kid · bark · calf · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. board — a committee
  7. bark — to shout
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cold — not warm
  10. swing — music
  11. board — to get on
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. swing — to play on
  17. object — a thing
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. object — an aim
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. object — to protest
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cold — an illness

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