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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wound — an injury
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. fall — the season
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. deal — to handle
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a great time
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wound — an injury

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