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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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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 · lie · lash · pass · march · file · bay · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — to get on
  3. lie — to recline
  4. file — a document
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. file — a tool
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. chest — a box
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. board — a committee
  15. march — the month
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. file — a line of people
  20. march — the month
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. march — music

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