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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · cap · rule · wound · kick · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. cap — a hat
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wound — an injury
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rule — a law
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rule — government
  15. board — to get on
  16. present — there
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. wound — past of 'wind'

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