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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mug — a face
  12. staff — employees
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — to get on
  15. mug — a cup
  16. hand — help
  17. staff — a stick
  18. kick — in football
  19. rest — a break
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. rest — what's left

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