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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. swing — to play on
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lean — thin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lean — to bend
  10. spring — the season
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. rest — a break
  16. spring — of water
  17. rash — a series
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. club — for dancing
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rash — hasty
  24. lash — an eyelash

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