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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 120 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: craft · dip · board · coach · race · row · lash · file

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. race — the arms race
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. row — to paddle
  10. craft — a skill
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. file — a line of people
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. file — a tool
  16. craft — boats
  17. row — a line
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. race — humankind
  22. dip — to sink
  23. file — a document
  24. race — a contest

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