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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 · lash · wave · board · stock · calf · pitcher · root

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. bound — obliged
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a committee
  4. stock — shares
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bound — certain
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. root — of a word
  10. stock — goods
  11. root — of a plant
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. board — to get on
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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