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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 116 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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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: club · trunk · rash · pass · firm · board · cell · lash

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cell — in biology
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. firm — a company
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. club — for golf
  9. cell — a phone
  10. firm — steady
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rash — hasty
  13. board — a committee
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. club — a group
  17. firm — decided
  18. board — to get on
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rash — a series
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. trunk — of a tree

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