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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. board — to get on
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hand — help
  14. board — a committee
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. date — the fruit
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lash — an eyelash

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