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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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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: lash · dip · bay · board · cue · wave · face · cell

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. board — to get on
  3. face — part of the head
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cell — in biology
  8. board — a committee
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cue — for pool
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cue — a signal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. face — to confront
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cue — a hint
  24. board — a flat piece

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