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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. board — to get on
  3. foot — a measure
  4. track — a path
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. board — a committee
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fine — high quality
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tube — a container
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. charge — a price
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fine — all right
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. kick — in football
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. track — a song

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