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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bore — to drill
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. root — of a word
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. root — the cause
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bore — to tire
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bass — low music
  18. spring — of water
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. root — of a plant
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. board — to get on
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bass — the fish

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