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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bound — certain
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bound — tied together
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rash — a series
  10. club — for golf
  11. file — a document
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. board — to get on
  15. club — for dancing
  16. board — a committee
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. club — a group
  20. pit — a hole
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pit — in a race
  23. dip — to sink
  24. file — a tool

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