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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 116 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 · last · pitcher · stock · plane · rest · lash · track

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. board — to get on
  3. last — to go on
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stock — shares
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. plane — a tool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rest — a break
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. last — final
  16. track — a song
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. track — a path
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stock — goods
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. last — finally
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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