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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: stem · bay · season · straw · lash · hide · wake · board

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. season — in sport
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. board — to get on
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wake — a trail
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. board — a committee

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