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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pass — a permit
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bat — the animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. net — after costs
  12. board — to get on
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. board — a committee
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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