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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mug — a face
  7. ball — a dance
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. ball — a great time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mug — a cup
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. board — a committee
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. craft — boats
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. board — to get on
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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