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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. board — to get on
  16. hand — help
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — a trail
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — in a road
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lash — an eyelash

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