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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. board — to get on
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — to confront
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. board — a committee
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. branch — a division
  14. content — happy
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. content — the amount
  22. plane — a tool
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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