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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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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: wind · hand · board · kick · pop · stick · mark · cue

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. board — to get on
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kick — in football
  8. hand — in cards
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cue — a hint
  16. hand — help
  17. board — a committee
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. kick — a thrill

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