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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: cap · fall · board · perch · rule · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fall — to drop
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rule — government
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rule — a law
  12. board — a committee
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. board — to get on
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fall — the season
  18. cap — a hat

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