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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ground — a position
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. charge — in control
  5. band — a ring
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rush — hurry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. charge — a price
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. band — a music group
  15. ground — the earth
  16. chair — a leader
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wake — a trail
  20. charge — electricity
  21. board — to get on
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wake — before a funeral

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