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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. bat — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. track — a path
  20. press — to push
  21. rash — hasty
  22. board — to get on
  23. track — a song
  24. board — a flat piece

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