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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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: board · lean · cue · object · kick · cell

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. board — a committee
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. board — to get on
  5. lean — thin
  6. object — a thing
  7. kick — in football
  8. cell — in biology
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. object — an aim
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. object — to protest
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cell — a phone
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg

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