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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: club · present · board · lie · pass · kick · charge · chest

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. charge — a price
  3. present — the time now
  4. board — a committee
  5. club — for golf
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chest — a box
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. club — a group
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. present — a gift
  13. charge — electricity
  14. chest — of your body
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chest — of your body
  18. kick — in football
  19. charge — in control
  20. club — for dancing
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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