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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. board — a committee
  3. degree — from a university
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. board — to get on
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stand — to bear
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. degree — temperature
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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