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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: wind · sharp · board · cell · calf · staff · swing · hand

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. board — a committee
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. staff — employees
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. swing — music
  12. staff — a stick
  13. board — to get on
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hand — help
  16. cell — a phone
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. hand — in cards
  24. sharp — exactly

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