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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bound — certain
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a committee
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. board — to get on
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bound — obliged
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. row — to paddle
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. row — a line
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rest — a break

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