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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. pitch — completely
  13. race — a contest
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. race — humankind
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. coach — a trainer

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