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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. net — in sport
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. kick — in football
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. shower — to wash
  12. board — to get on
  13. net — after costs
  14. rock — music
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. rock — a stone
  20. net — for catching
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. board — a committee
  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