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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. board — a committee
  6. row — to paddle
  7. board — to get on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. content — the amount
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lean — thin
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ground — a position
  22. content — happy
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. kick — a thrill

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