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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. board — a committee
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stand — to bear
  13. kid — child
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cap — a hat
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. craft — boats
  20. board — to get on
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cap — a lid
  23. kid — to tease
  24. chair — a professorship

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