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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hand — in cards
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. board — a committee
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. can — a tin
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. plane — a tool
  17. can — to be able to
  18. date — the fruit
  19. hand — help
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. land — to come down
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. plane — an aircraft

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