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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: capital · rash · mouse · staff · roll · lash · board · ground

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. lash — an eyelash
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. capital — money
  7. ground — a position
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. board — to get on
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rash — a series
  12. roll — a cake
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. board — a committee
  16. ground — crushed
  17. staff — employees
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. roll — a list
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  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