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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 124 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rush — hurry
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. game — wild animals
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kick — in football
  16. board — to get on
  17. game — a match
  18. shower — rain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. board — a committee
  24. mine — belonging to me

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