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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. key — the most important part
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. hand — help
  7. board — to get on
  8. cap — a lid
  9. hand — in cards
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. key — for a lock
  12. board — a committee
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. key — in music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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