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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: board · last · ball · hide · lash · trunk · branch · bulb

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. last — to go on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. last — finally
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ball — a dance
  9. last — final
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ball — a great time

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