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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ground — the earth
  7. board — to get on
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spring — of water
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — the season
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. board — a committee
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. suit — to fit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ground — a position
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lash — an eyelash

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