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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. board — a committee
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rest — a break
  9. band — a music group
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rest — what's left
  18. date — the fruit
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. chair — a leader
  22. band — a ring
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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