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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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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: stick · straw · calf · prune · band · board · kick · shower

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — to get on
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — to wash
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. band — a ring
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. board — a committee
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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