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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. mug — a cup
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — magic
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spell — letters
  11. clip — a video
  12. board — to get on
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mug — a face
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mug — to rob
  20. clip — for paper
  21. kick — in football
  22. wind — moving air
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kick — a thrill

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