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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. staff — employees
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — a trail
  6. branch — a division
  7. board — to get on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. board — a committee
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cap — a lid
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cap — a hat
  24. staff — employees

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