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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: lash · arm · fine · chair · straw · board · bear · drill

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. drill — a practice
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. drill — army training
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. board — a committee
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. board — to get on
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fine — high quality
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fine — all right
  24. arm — a part of something

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