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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: charge · board · rash · kid · object · drill · band · calf

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. board — to get on
  4. drill — army training
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. kid — to tease
  8. drill — the tool
  9. band — a ring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. charge — in control
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. object — an aim
  14. board — a committee
  15. charge — a price
  16. kid — child
  17. charge — electricity
  18. object — a thing
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. drill — a practice
  21. object — to protest
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rash — a series

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