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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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. ground — crushed
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. board — to get on
  6. stem — to come from
  7. ground — a position
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. deal — to handle
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. swing — to play on
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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