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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bound — tied together
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lean — thin
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bound — obliged
  10. capital — a city
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ball — a great time
  17. kid — child
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bound — certain
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bank — for money

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