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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. vault — a safe
  3. board — a committee
  4. track — a path
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rule — a law
  7. track — to keep track
  8. board — to get on
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. row — a line
  15. kick — in football
  16. wind — moving air
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. track — a song
  19. stem — to come from
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rule — government
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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