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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. last — finally
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. staff — employees
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fine — all right
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. board — to get on
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. band — a music group
  16. fine — high quality
  17. saw — the tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. last — final
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. staff — a stick
  22. board — a committee
  23. lash — to lash out
  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