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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — of a plant
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. root — of a word
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. last — to go on
  15. board — to get on
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. suit — clothes
  18. net — in sport
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. root — the cause
  22. board — a committee
  23. net — after costs
  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