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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 124 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. snap — to click
  3. tube — the underground
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. tube — a container
  8. key — in music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rash — hasty
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — a series
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lie — to recline
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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