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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: calf · firm · pound · board · swing · lash · hand · club

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. swing — music
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. hand — help
  9. club — for dancing
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pound — a weight
  14. club — for golf
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hand — in cards
  21. club — a group
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pound — for dogs

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