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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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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: board · sharp · kick · mug · bank · fall · pit · chair

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. board — a committee
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pit — a hole
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bank — for money
  13. board — to get on
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — for money
  19. kick — in football
  20. mug — a face
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pit — in a race

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