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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — in football
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rash — a series
  6. board — a committee
  7. spell — letters
  8. suit — to fit
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. board — to get on
  11. spell — a short time
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. spell — magic
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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