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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. key — for a lock
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. game — wild animals
  8. key — in music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mug — a cup
  12. branch — a division
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. game — a match
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mug — a face
  20. board — to get on
  21. key — the most important part
  22. board — a committee
  23. kick — in football
  24. mine — an explosive

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