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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rule — government
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. drill — army training
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. board — to get on
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rule — a law

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