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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: lash · bound · board · hide · pass · net · coach · shower

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. shower — rain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. pass — a permit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. net — for catching
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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