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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. face — part of the head
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lean — thin
  8. board — to get on
  9. face — to confront
  10. spell — magic
  11. board — a committee
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lean — to bend
  14. swing — music
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. face — to point toward
  18. swing — in golf
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. spell — a short time

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