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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitch — completely
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. last — finally
  9. board — a committee
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. spring — the season
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spring — a coil
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. board — to get on
  21. spring — of water
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. last — to go on
  24. rush — hurry

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