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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: mine · board · saw · lash · hide · cabinet · pop · plane

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pop — music
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — to get on
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — a committee
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lash — to lash out

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