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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: lash · net · mate · board · rock · wax · bark · object

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. board — a committee
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. net — after costs
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wax — to grow
  15. net — in sport
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. net — for catching
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mate — to breed
  21. board — to get on
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rock — music

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