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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fine — high quality
  4. board — to get on
  5. tear — to rip
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. root — of a word
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. tear — from crying
  10. root — of a plant
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cap — a lid
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. cap — of ice
  17. tear — from crying
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cap — a hat
  20. root — the cause
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. board — a committee
  24. saw — the tool

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