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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: trunk · lash · last · board · cabinet · row · net · lie

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. last — finally
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. row — a line
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — final
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. row — to paddle
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. last — to go on
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — a committee
  24. lie — to recline

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