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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: net · board · firm · lash · clip · pitcher · bay · rock

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. firm — a company
  4. clip — to cut
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. rock — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. net — in sport
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. clip — for paper
  15. net — for catching
  16. rock — a stone
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. net — after costs
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. clip — a video
  22. firm — decided
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. firm — steady

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