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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. last — to go on
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. last — finally
  5. rash — a series
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rash — hasty
  11. key — in music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. key — for a lock
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. key — the most important part
  20. last — final
  21. board — a committee
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lash — an eyelash

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