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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: kick · rash · mug · wake · deal · board · band · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mug — to rob
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mug — a cup
  12. band — a music group
  13. ground — a position
  14. kick — in football
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rash — a series
  18. deal — to handle
  19. board — to get on
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rash — hasty
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. board — a committee
  24. mug — a face

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