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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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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: kick · rash · clip · lie · safe · board · pop · hand

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pop — soda
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. rash — hasty
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pop — music
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — help
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rash — a series
  20. clip — for paper
  21. board — to get on
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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