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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: root · spell · scale · game · stand · board · wake · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. board — a committee
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spell — magic
  5. root — of a plant
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stand — to bear
  8. spell — letters
  9. scale — in music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. game — a match
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. root — the cause
  16. scale — size or range
  17. board — to get on
  18. game — wild animals
  19. root — of a word
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. game — a kind of play

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