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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. content — happy
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. board — a committee
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bore — to drill
  8. staff — employees
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tear — from crying
  11. board — to get on
  12. staff — employees
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — a law
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. staff — a stick
  21. content — the amount
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bore — to tire
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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