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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cue — a hint
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pass — a permit
  8. board — a committee
  9. cue — a signal
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kick — in football
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cue — for pool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. roll — a list
  21. board — to get on
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. roll — on a roll

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