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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: lash · patient · board · chest · nail · bowl · row · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stand — to bear
  4. row — a line
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. board — a committee
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. patient — a sick person

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