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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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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: mine · board · race · bound · bay · hand · lash · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. hand — help
  3. board — to get on
  4. race — the arms race
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — certain
  7. mine — for digging
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. race — humankind
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. race — a contest
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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