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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. march — the month
  4. board — a committee
  5. rush — hurry
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. face — part of the head
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to confront
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. board — to get on
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. calf — of the leg

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