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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 do anything ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — a division
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cell — in biology
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. charge — in control
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cell — a phone
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rash — a series
  24. hide — animal skin

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