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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · object · bass · hand · cell · kick · board · net

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. hand — help
  3. board — to get on
  4. net — in sport
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bore — to tire
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. object — to protest
  12. net — after costs
  13. object — a thing
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bore — to drill
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bass — low music
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bass — the fish
  20. net — for catching
  21. board — a committee
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. kick — in football

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