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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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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: game · staff · plane · coach · board · rule · pitcher · lash

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rule — government
  5. board — a committee
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. staff — a stick
  15. plane — a tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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