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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. board — a committee
  4. kick — in football
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bore — to drill
  8. charge — in control
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bore — to tire
  12. charge — a price
  13. lean — thin
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. dip — to sink
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lean — to bend
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. band — a music group
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. board — to get on

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