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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.

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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: swing · pit · leaves · board · saw · suit · kick · temple

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. pit — a hole
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. kick — in football
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. suit — to fit
  15. board — to get on
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. swing — in golf
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pit — in a race
  20. swing — music
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. swing — to play on

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