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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fine — high quality
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. game — a match
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — to get on
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. staff — employees
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. kick — in football
  21. board — a committee
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. game — wild animals
  24. fine — all right

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