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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.

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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: mug · board · lash · hide · fan · band

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. band — a ring
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. mug — a cup
  10. band — a music group
  11. board — to get on
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — a committee
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mug — a face
  18. hide — to keep secret

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