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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: lash · object · wake · chest · court · drill · hand · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wake — a trail
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. object — to protest
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. court — of a king
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. board — a committee
  9. chest — a box
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. board — to get on
  12. court — for sport
  13. drill — a practice
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. drill — the tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hand — help
  21. drill — army training
  22. hand — in cards
  23. court — of law
  24. chest — of your body

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