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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
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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: mouse · hand · board · pit · lash · shower · straw · saw

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. shower — rain
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. board — to get on
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pit — a hole
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. hand — help
  17. shower — to wash
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. board — a committee
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. straw — dry grass

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