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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 120 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bound — tied together
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. board — a committee
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. object — an aim
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. object — to protest
  15. cell — a phone
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stand — to bear
  19. object — a thing
  20. wound — an injury
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cell — in biology
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bound — certain

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