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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.

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: stem · ball · shower · ruler · bound · perch · board · lash

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bound — tied together
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — to get on
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. shower — rain
  24. lash — to lash out

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