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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rash — hasty
  11. cap — of ice
  12. hand — in cards
  13. board — a committee
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rash — a series
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. cap — a hat
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bore — to drill

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