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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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468
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: mate · racket · lash · rush · mouse · board · deal · file

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. mate — a friend
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. deal — to handle
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. deal — an agreement

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