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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: board · pit · cabinet · lean · bear · lash · mug · fall

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mug — a face
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. lean — thin
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. fall — the season
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lean — to bend

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