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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: hide · rest · cue · wave · date · lean · board · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. board — a committee
  7. lean — to bend
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. board — to get on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cue — a signal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lean — thin
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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