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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wound — an injury
  6. root — the cause
  7. swing — in golf
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wound — an injury
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. swing — to play on
  17. board — a committee
  18. cell — a phone
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mark — a grade
  21. board — to get on
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. swing — music

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