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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rest — a break
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. scale — in music
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mine — for digging
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. snap — to click
  15. kick — in football
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — to get on
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rest — what's left
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kick — with a leg

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