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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. can — to be able to
  6. board — to get on
  7. bound — certain
  8. cold — not warm
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. can — a tin
  12. bound — obliged
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mark — a grade
  19. can — a tin
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. board — a committee
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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