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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.

Words on the sheet
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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rest — a break
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — a committee
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stem — to come from
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ball — a great time
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. kick — in football
  22. fork — in a road
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. board — to get on

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