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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: wake · pound · rash · lash · root · board · charge · mate

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wake — a trail
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mate — a partner
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mate — a friend
  18. board — to get on
  19. root — the cause
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. charge — a price
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. mate — to breed

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