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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 124 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spring — of water
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. board — to get on
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bear — the animal
  10. board — a committee
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cell — in biology
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. spring — the season
  17. squash — the sport
  18. spring — a coil
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. squash — to crush
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bear — the animal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bear — to put up with

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