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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. tube — a container
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — a subject
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. kick — in football
  8. board — a committee
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. board — to get on
  11. field — farmland
  12. tube — the underground
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. field — for sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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