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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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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 · arm · stand · rule · board · tear · wake · pitcher

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rule — government
  4. stand — to bear
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tear — from crying
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. board — to get on
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — a committee
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. tear — from crying

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