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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 120 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — a committee
  7. deal — to handle
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chair — a leader
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. drill — army training
  22. kick — in football
  23. board — to get on
  24. saw — the tool

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