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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. net — after costs
  5. chip — for betting
  6. board — to get on
  7. net — in sport
  8. file — a tool
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. file — a document
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. kick — in football
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wake — a trail
  18. net — for catching
  19. board — a committee
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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