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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: rest · chest · lash · rock · object · mouse · wave · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. object — to protest
  6. rest — a break
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. object — a thing
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. object — an aim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. board — a committee

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