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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. board — to get on
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bore — to tire
  9. root — the cause
  10. board — a committee
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bore — to drill
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. root — of a word
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. hand — help
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. leaves — of a tree

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