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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: track · fall · staff · lash · board · arm · bowl · pass

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. staff — employees
  6. pass — a permit
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. board — to get on
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. board — a committee
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. track — a path

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