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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. charge — in control
  8. lie — to recline
  9. tube — a container
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. board — a committee
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chair — a leader
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bear — the animal

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