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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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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. board — to get on
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. race — a contest
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — a committee
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. race — humankind
  17. mate — a friend
  18. spell — letters
  19. ball — a great time
  20. spell — a short time
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. race — the arms race
  24. spell — magic

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