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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. board — a committee
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. craft — a skill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. kid — to tease
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kick — in football
  13. kid — child
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bat — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. land — a country
  18. suit — in cards
  19. land — ground
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. suit — clothes
  22. board — to get on
  23. craft — boats
  24. land — to come down

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