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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. content — the amount
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — to fit
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. board — to get on
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. content — happy
  10. suit — clothes
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wind — moving air
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — hurry
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. board — a committee
  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