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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 120 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: board · charge · wake · lie · club · lash · hand · bulb

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — help
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bulb — for light
  13. club — a group
  14. board — a committee
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. hand — in cards
  22. charge — electricity
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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