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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. season — of the year
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bound — certain
  10. season — in sport
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. board — a committee
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. board — to get on
  21. kick — in football
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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