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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cap — of ice
  7. season — in sport
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cap — a hat
  17. sharp — clever
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kick — in football
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. season — of the year
  24. cap — a lid

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