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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. root — the cause
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. land — ground
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. land — to come down
  8. season — of the year
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rock — a stone
  11. land — a country
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ball — a great time
  17. root — of a plant
  18. board — a committee
  19. season — in sport
  20. root — of a word
  21. rock — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. ball — a dance
  24. board — to get 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