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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. board — a committee
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — a trail
  8. lean — thin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. hand — help
  16. lean — to bend
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. board — to get on
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rest — a break
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — part of the body

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