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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
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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: bore · board · stick · lash · bass · cold · wake · rock

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bass — low music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rock — a stone
  9. board — a committee
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. board — to get on
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rock — music
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bore — to drill
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — not warm

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