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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 120 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: object · rest · board · rash · chip · pit · lash · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. object — to protest
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rash — hasty
  7. object — a thing
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rest — a break
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pit — in a race
  16. chip — for betting
  17. object — an aim
  18. board — to get on
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rash — a series
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lash — to lash out

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