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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: straw · object · calf · bound · racket · rush · pound · hand

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bound — certain
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. object — an aim
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. object — to protest
  12. hand — in cards
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. hand — help
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. object — a thing
  22. pound — a weight
  23. calf — a young animal
  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