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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. drill — army training
  3. board — to get on
  4. can — a tin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. can — to be able to
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. board — a committee
  18. net — after costs
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. drill — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — a practice
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — a trainer

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