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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 116 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: wind · pass · lash · mug · club · board · scale · stick

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. club — for golf
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pass — a permit
  6. board — a committee
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mug — a face
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mug — to rob
  11. club — a group
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wind — moving air
  14. board — to get on
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. scale — in music
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. club — for dancing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mug — a cup

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