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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hand — in cards
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. board — to get on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — in football
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lean — thin
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cue — for pool
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cue — a signal
  17. spring — of water
  18. rest — a break
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spring — the season
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. hand — help
  23. band — a music group
  24. hand — part of the body

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