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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. board — to get on
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. rock — a stone
  6. land — ground
  7. last — finally
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. land — a country
  11. kick — in football
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rock — music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bass — low music
  20. last — final
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. last — to go on

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