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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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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: pit · board · stand · lash · ruler · fall · bound · row

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. fall — the season
  3. board — to get on
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bound — certain
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bound — tied together
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. board — a committee
  18. row — a line
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stand — to bear
  24. row — a quarrel

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