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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kick — in football
  6. band — a ring
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rock — music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. cap — a hat
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cue — a signal
  18. board — a committee
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. cap — of ice

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