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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. net — for catching
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pitch — completely
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wake — a trail
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. board — to get on
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. kick — in football

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