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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. board — to get on
  7. present — a gift
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. present — there
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. squash — to crush
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wind — moving air
  19. kick — in football
  20. present — the time now
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. staff — employees
  23. wind — moving air
  24. foot — the bottom

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