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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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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: net · fork · lash · kick · rule · coach · board · suit

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. suit — to fit
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. kick — in football
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. net — after costs
  13. board — to get on
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. net — in sport
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. net — for catching
  20. board — a committee
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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