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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · chair · march · board · craft · saw · rock · lash

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. march — the month
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. mark — a grade
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. saw — the tool
  16. march — music
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. chair — a leader
  19. craft — boats
  20. march — the month
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. craft — a skill

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