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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 · ruler · bat · lash · row · charge · key · lean

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — to get on
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lean — thin
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — in control
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. key — for a lock
  16. row — a line
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. charge — a price
  20. key — the most important part
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lash — to lash out

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