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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: straw · board · lash · fall · pass · net

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. fall — the season
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. net — in sport
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pass — a permit
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. net — for catching
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fall — to drop
  16. net — after costs
  17. fall — to drop
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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