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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: chip · lash · board · bat · ruler · deal · wind · hide

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. board — a committee
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chip — for betting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hide — to keep secret

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