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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. field — for sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. season — of the year
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. field — a subject
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tube — the underground
  14. key — for a lock
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. key — the most important part
  18. field — farmland
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. tube — a container
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. season — in sport
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. key — in music

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