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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — to get on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. season — of the year
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. board — a committee
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. sharp — clever
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. saw — the tool
  23. season — in sport
  24. kick — in football

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