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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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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 · nail · lash · bay · board · cold · bowl · fall

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. board — a committee
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cold — an illness
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — to get on
  19. fall — the season
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. nail — on a finger

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