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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: lash · spell · club · lean · board · net · bore · mug

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. spell — magic
  3. bore — to drill
  4. club — for golf
  5. net — in sport
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bore — to tire
  8. board — a committee
  9. net — after costs
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. spell — a short time
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mug — a face
  16. board — to get on
  17. spell — letters
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. club — a group
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mug — a cup
  24. net — for catching

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