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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. band — a music group
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rest — a break
  8. rock — music
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bound — certain
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rest — what's left
  16. board — a committee
  17. game — a match
  18. rest — what's left
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bound — obliged
  21. band — a ring
  22. bound — tied together
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. lash — an eyelash

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