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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. land — to come down
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. land — a country
  7. ground — the earth
  8. board — a committee
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. land — ground
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. board — to get on
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. ground — a position
  19. fine — all right
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cell — in a prison

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