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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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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — a committee
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. board — to get on
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bear — the animal

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