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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kick — in football
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stand — to bear
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stem — to come from
  13. snap — to click
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. board — to get on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lash — to lash out

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