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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: sharp · present · deal · lash · board · wake · rash · scale

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. scale — size or range
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. present — a gift
  7. sharp — clever
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rash — a series
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. present — the time now
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rash — hasty
  17. board — to get on
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. board — a committee
  21. present — there
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lash — an eyelash

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