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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: toast · row · ball · saw · lash · board · plane · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. toast — bread
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ball — a dance
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. plane — a tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. board — to get on
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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