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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. board — to get on
  4. land — ground
  5. kick — in football
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pop — to visit
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bound — certain
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bound — tied together
  18. land — a country
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. land — to come down
  21. board — a committee
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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