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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 120 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: band · mug · bark · rush · board · deal · calf · straw

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. board — to get on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. board — a committee
  11. band — a music group
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rush — hurry
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mug — to rob
  18. band — a ring
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mug — a face
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. straw — a straw man

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