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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. board — a committee
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. rash — hasty
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. net — in sport
  12. kick — in football
  13. net — for catching
  14. board — to get on
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. net — after costs
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rash — a series
  23. band — a music group
  24. lie — an untruth

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