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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: game · hide · rule · net · wind · kick · foot · board

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wind — moving air
  8. game — a match
  9. rule — a law
  10. game — wild animals
  11. rule — government
  12. net — for catching
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. board — a committee
  15. net — after costs
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. net — in sport
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kick — in football
  24. foot — part of the body

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