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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bank — for money
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — for money
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. row — a line
  24. fork — in a road

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