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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. suit — to fit
  3. kick — in football
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wind — moving air
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pop — music
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. hand — help
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. pop — soda
  12. shower — to wash
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wind — moving air
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. suit — in cards
  17. board — to get on
  18. hand — in cards
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. shower — rain
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. kick — with a leg

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