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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: clip · lash · board · lie · fine · rule · drill · squash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fine — high quality
  5. board — a committee
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — to cut
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rule — a law
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fine — all right
  18. rule — government
  19. drill — a practice
  20. clip — a video
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. drill — army training
  24. board — to get on

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