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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. chair — a leader
  4. board — a committee
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. capital — money
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. capital — a city
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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