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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. board — a committee
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. swing — music
  7. spell — letters
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. row — a line
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — completely
  14. swing — in golf
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. spell — magic
  17. board — to get on
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. foot — a measure
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. spell — a short time

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