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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: bat · current · lash · pitcher · plane · board · wound · bear

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. current — electric
  7. wound — an injury
  8. current — happening now
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. current — of water
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. bat — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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