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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — to get on
  7. wind — moving air
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. board — a committee
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rule — a law
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rule — government
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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