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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. net — for catching
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. board — to get on
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. net — in sport
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. net — after costs

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