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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: bound · board · fan · bark · stock · lash · hand · chair

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bound — tied together
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — certain
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. stock — goods
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. hand — help
  22. stock — shares
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lash — to lash out

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