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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 116 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: craft · race · board · lean · tear · fine · season · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. season — in sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. fine — all right
  5. tear — to rip
  6. craft — boats
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. race — humankind
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lean — to bend
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. race — the arms race
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lean — thin
  16. season — of the year
  17. kick — in football
  18. race — a contest
  19. board — a committee
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fine — high quality
  23. tear — from crying
  24. board — to get on

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