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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. board — a committee
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. cell — a phone
  5. board — to get on
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bark — to shout

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