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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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 — to get on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. game — a match
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chip — to eat
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cell — in biology
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. kick — in football
  19. cell — a phone
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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