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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.

Make a worksheet

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: last · mug · lash · object · board · mine · land · stick

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. board — a committee
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. last — finally
  5. object — an aim
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. object — to protest
  8. mine — for digging
  9. last — to go on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — to rob
  13. land — to come down
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. board — to get on
  16. mug — a face
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. land — a country
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mug — a cup
  21. last — final
  22. object — a thing
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. land — ground

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