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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: chair · drill · lash · ball · bank · perch · board · face

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bank — of a river
  6. face — to point toward
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. chair — a leader
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. perch — the fish
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. face — to confront
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. drill — army training
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. face — part of the head

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