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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. current — happening now
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — electric
  6. pit — a hole
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. board — a committee
  10. kick — in football
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — of water
  13. lie — to recline
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kick — with a leg

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