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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: kick · fork · mug · fall · cold · board · cabinet · rock

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — a face
  13. board — to get on
  14. cold — an illness
  15. fall — the season
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cold — not warm
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. kick — in football
  24. board — a committee

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