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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. board — to get on
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — boats
  13. rush — hurry
  14. squash — the sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. present — the time now
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. present — there
  21. squash — to crush
  22. craft — a skill
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — a flat piece

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