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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. land — a country
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. band — a ring
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. board — a committee
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — to get on
  16. fine — high quality
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fine — all right
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. band — a music group
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. arm — a part of something

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