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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: board · lash · kick · hide · stick · pass · hand · pound

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. hand — help
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — in cards
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. kick — in football
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — to get on
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. hand — part of the body

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