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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: lash · roll · cap · ruler · fork · board · swing · charge

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. charge — electricity
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cap — of ice
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. swing — in golf
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cap — a hat
  11. board — to get on
  12. roll — a list
  13. swing — music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. charge — in control
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. charge — a price
  18. board — a committee
  19. cap — a lid
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. roll — on a roll
  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