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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · stock · suit · lash · cell · nail · board · land

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. board — a committee
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. land — to come down
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. stock — goods
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stock — shares
  19. land — a country
  20. cell — a phone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. land — ground
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wave — of the sea

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