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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 · nail · hand · squash · board · fall · shower · mouse

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. board — to get on
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hand — help
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. squash — to crush

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