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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chair — a leader
  7. board — to get on
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pit — in a race
  11. craft — boats
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bound — obliged
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bound — certain
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pit — a hole
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rule — government
  24. chair — a professorship

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