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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — a tool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. board — a committee
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. board — to get on
  12. face — to confront
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. degree — from a university
  16. chip — to eat
  17. degree — an amount
  18. face — part of the head
  19. chip — for betting
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. degree — temperature
  24. lash — to lash out

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