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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. cold — an illness
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. board — to get on
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cold — not warm
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. lie — to recline
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. board — a committee

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