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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. last — final
  6. board — a committee
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. deal — to handle
  13. season — in sport
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. season — of the year
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bear — the animal

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