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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. last — finally
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. board — a committee
  12. last — to go on
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — to get on
  17. last — final
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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