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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. spell — magic
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — to get on
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. kick — in football
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. rule — a law
  11. board — a committee
  12. kid — child
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bass — low music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stock — shares
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rule — government
  20. stock — goods
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. spell — letters
  24. rule — to rule out

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