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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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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: land · board · date · foot · leaves · object · kid · lash

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. kid — to tease
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. foot — a measure
  6. board — to get on
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. land — ground
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. kid — child
  13. object — to protest
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. object — an aim
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. board — a committee
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. date — the fruit
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. object — a thing

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