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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. board — a committee
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mug — a face
  6. chest — of your body
  7. net — for catching
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. net — after costs
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. chest — of your body
  14. net — in sport
  15. file — a tool
  16. kick — in football
  17. mug — to rob
  18. file — a line of people
  19. board — to get on
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mug — a cup
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. chest — a box
  24. file — a document

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