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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. degree — an amount
  5. chest — of your body
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. chest — of your body
  14. degree — from a university
  15. chest — a box
  16. scale — size or range
  17. snap — to click
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. scale — in music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. temple — a place of worship

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