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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wind — moving air
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. key — for a lock
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. key — the most important part
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wind — moving air
  15. race — humankind
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. branch — a division
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. key — in music
  20. spell — letters
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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