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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: rash · wake · mug · hide · board · nail · bowl · file

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mug — a face
  11. file — a tool
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. file — a document
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. board — to get on
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wake — a trail
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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