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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. board — to get on
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. file — a tool
  6. fine — all right
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. board — a committee
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. march — the month
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tube — the underground
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — in music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — hurry
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. tube — a container
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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