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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.

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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: lash · chest · root · march · board · wound · pass · cap

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. march — the month
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cap — of ice
  13. chest — a box
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. march — music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. march — the month
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cap — a lid
  23. root — of a word
  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