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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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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: tube · board · march · ruler · lash · jam

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. march — music
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. board — to get on
  9. march — the month
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tube — a container
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic

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