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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. file — a document
  3. board — to get on
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. season — in sport
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. object — an aim
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. object — a thing
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. file — a line of people
  19. season — of the year
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. object — to protest
  24. file — a tool

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