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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: lean · bat · key · wake · wave · lash · board · safe

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. board — a committee
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. lean — thin
  8. board — to get on
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. key — in music
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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