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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · hand · lash · stock · mate · bay · rush · kid

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mate — to breed
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mate — a friend
  11. kid — to tease
  12. hand — help
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stock — shares
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stock — goods
  21. board — a committee
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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