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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: straw · board · staff · squash · leaves · can · bound · lash

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. staff — employees
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — obliged
  10. staff — a stick
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. can — a tin
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. board — a committee
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. squash — to crush
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. board — to get on

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