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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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. hand — help
  2. kick — in football
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. board — a committee
  7. hand — in cards
  8. band — a ring
  9. rule — government
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mate — to breed
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lie — to recline
  19. band — a music group
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lie — an untruth
  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