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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 120 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. board — to get on
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chair — a leader
  10. pitch — completely
  11. prune — to trim
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. board — a committee
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. clip — a video
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. clip — to cut
  24. board — a flat piece

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