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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · coach · lash · board · land · squash · bank · ruler

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bank — for money
  12. board — a committee
  13. squash — the sport
  14. board — to get on
  15. land — a country
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. squash — to crush
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rash — a series
  24. bank — of a river

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