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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. key — in music
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. content — the amount
  13. wind — moving air
  14. board — to get on
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — a committee
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. key — for a lock
  21. content — happy
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. content — videos and posts

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