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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pit — in a race
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — a committee
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fine — all right
  13. drill — a practice
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — completely
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pit — a hole
  24. drill — army training

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