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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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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. board — to get on
  2. chest — a box
  3. rush — hurry
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. board — a committee
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. current — electric
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. chest — of your body
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. deal — to handle
  23. date — on the calendar
  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