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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 116 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: rash · board · club · fall · lash · pit · cabinet · stick

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pit — a hole
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rash — a series
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. board — to get on

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