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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: hide · pit · fan · stick · board · safe · field · lash

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. field — for sport
  5. pit — a hole
  6. field — farmland
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — a committee
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. field — a subject
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — to get on
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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