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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.

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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bear — the animal
  8. chip — to eat
  9. last — final
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. last — to go on
  13. fine — high quality
  14. board — to get on
  15. kick — in football
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rule — government
  20. last — finally
  21. fine — all right
  22. rule — a law
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. board — a committee

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