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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: race · row · board · wave · staff · bank · lash · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — a line
  6. board — a committee
  7. race — the arms race
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bank — for money
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. staff — employees
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. staff — a stick
  19. race — a contest
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. board — to get on
  22. staff — employees
  23. race — humankind
  24. board — a flat piece

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