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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. board — a committee
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. board — to get on
  12. clip — a video
  13. dip — to sink
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — for paper
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stem — to come from
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. clip — to cut
  24. stem — a stem cell

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