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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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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: lash · board · pound · hand · content · staff · sharp · branch

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. board — to get on
  3. branch — a division
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. staff — a stick
  8. hand — help
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. board — a committee
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. content — the amount
  17. hand — in cards
  18. sharp — clever
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. content — happy
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pound — a weight
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. staff — employees

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