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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mug — a cup
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. board — to get on
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. current — electric
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hand — help
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. board — a committee
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. current — of water
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hand — in cards
  22. current — happening now
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mug — to rob

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