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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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468
Word bank
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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 is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. tear — to rip
  3. kick — in football
  4. board — to get on
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. tear — from crying
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. clip — a video
  15. bass — low music
  16. board — a committee
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bass — the fish
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rock — music
  23. clip — to cut
  24. rock — a stone

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