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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · nail · rash · board · spell · kick · rock · game

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spell — a short time
  3. board — a committee
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. game — a match
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. spell — letters
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — to get on
  16. rash — a series
  17. game — wild animals
  18. kick — in football
  19. rock — music
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rock — a stone
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. spell — magic
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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