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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: sharp · saw · kick · ball · board · date · fork · straw

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. kick — in football
  4. fork — in a road
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — clever
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ball — a dance
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. board — a committee
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. date — the fruit
  21. board — to get on
  22. ball — a great time
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. saw — the tool

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