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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 116 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. spell — letters
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. board — a committee
  5. track — a song
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. track — a path
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bore — to drill
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fall — the season
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fall — to drop
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bore — to tire
  24. spell — a short time

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