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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: mate · bore · club · board · lash · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. board — to get on
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bore — to tire
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bore — to drill
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. board — a committee
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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