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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  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. board — a committee
  2. rule — a law
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. board — to get on
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wound — an injury
  12. current — of water
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rule — government
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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