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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: spell · board · pop · bat · pass · can · shower · lash

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. shower — to wash
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. board — a committee
  7. spell — magic
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. spell — a short time
  13. shower — rain
  14. bat — the animal
  15. pop — soda
  16. pass — a permit
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pop — to visit
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. can — a tin
  22. pop — music
  23. board — to get on
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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