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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. board — to get on
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. rule — a law
  5. spring — the season
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spring — of water
  8. chair — a leader
  9. toast — bread
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rule — government
  18. board — a committee
  19. kick — in football
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. spring — a coil
  24. arm — part of the body

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