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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: board · swing · lash · safe · sharp · wave

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. board — to get on
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. swing — to play on
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. swing — in golf
  10. sharp — clever
  11. board — a committee
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. swing — music

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