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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.

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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. rest — a break
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. swing — music
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kick — in football
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. board — to get on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. land — to come down
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pound — a weight
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. land — ground
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — a country
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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