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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. mug — a cup
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. content — the amount
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. file — a tool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. content — happy
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. file — a document
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. swing — music
  22. file — a line of people
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mug — a face

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