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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. board — to get on
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. board — a committee
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. scale — in music
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. tear — from crying
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lash — to lash out

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