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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. club — for golf
  4. root — of a word
  5. rest — a break
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. root — the cause
  8. cap — a lid
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. club — a group
  12. board — to get on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. root — of a plant
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cap — of ice
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cap — a hat
  24. club — for dancing

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