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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: lash · wake · mine · board · swing · march · mug · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — there
  6. board — a committee
  7. march — music
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. present — a gift
  12. march — the month
  13. board — to get on
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. swing — music
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. march — the month
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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