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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 116 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: board · perch · lash · drill · patient · ruler · straw · pound

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. drill — army training
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. board — to get on
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. drill — a practice
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. board — a committee
  19. pound — a weight
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. drill — the tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. straw — dry grass

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