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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. board — to get on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. can — a tin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rule — a law
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. staff — employees
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. staff — employees
  21. rule — government
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. kick — in football
  24. board — a committee

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