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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: rash · straw · hand · mark · board · drill · charge · racket

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rash — hasty
  3. board — to get on
  4. drill — a practice
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. drill — army training
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hand — help
  10. board — a committee
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rash — a series
  13. charge — in control
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. charge — a price
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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