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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. content — the amount
  4. net — in sport
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. charge — a price
  7. board — to get on
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. charge — in control
  12. net — for catching
  13. cell — in biology
  14. net — after costs
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cell — a phone
  17. content — happy
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. charge — electricity
  24. content — videos and posts

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