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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. board — a committee
  3. hand — help
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spell — magic
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. spell — letters
  14. wound — an injury
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. board — to get on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cabinet — ministers

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