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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: nail · rash · board · safe · stand · calf · hand · shower

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — rain
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. board — a committee
  12. shower — to wash
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stand — to bear
  16. hand — in cards
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. calf — a young animal

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