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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spell — magic
  7. rash — hasty
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spell — letters
  12. board — to get on
  13. rash — a series
  14. kick — in football
  15. can — a tin
  16. net — after costs
  17. fork — in a road
  18. net — for catching
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — in sport
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fork — a garden tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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