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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pit — a hole
  8. file — a tool
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. swing — to play on
  14. board — a committee
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pit — in a race
  17. file — a document
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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