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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: staff · board · toast · roll · snap · calf · kid · rash

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rash — a series
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. roll — a list
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rash — hasty
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. staff — employees
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. roll — a cake
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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