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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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. spring — a coil
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spring — the season
  13. board — a committee
  14. bound — tied together
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bound — certain
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spring — of water
  24. mark — to pay attention

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