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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: squash · shower · can · lash · mark · current · chest · board

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. current — electric
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. squash — to crush
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. can — to be able to
  13. mark — a grade
  14. can — a tin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. current — happening now
  18. board — a committee
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chest — a box
  21. board — to get on
  22. shower — rain
  23. current — of water
  24. shower — to wash

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