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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. suit — clothes
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ground — crushed
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ground — the earth
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wind — moving air
  11. suit — to fit
  12. board — a committee
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. board — to get on
  18. ground — a position
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cue — a signal

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