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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. band — a ring
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. board — to get on
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. band — a music group
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. net — after costs
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chair — a leader
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. cap — a hat
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cap — of ice
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. board — a committee

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