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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. board — to get on
  4. rock — music
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bound — tied together
  7. last — to go on
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — in football
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. last — final
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a great time
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bound — certain
  24. rock — a stone

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