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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · board · bark · band · mouse · lash · pit · straw

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. season — of the year
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. band — a music group
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. band — a ring
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bark — to shout
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. season — in sport
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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