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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lean — thin
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. sharp — clever
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pop — music
  9. tube — a container
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. board — to get on
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pop — soda
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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