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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. prune — to trim
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. board — to get on
  11. bound — certain
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bound — tied together
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bound — obliged
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cabinet — ministers

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