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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 · nail · board · suit · tear · plane · rush · game

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. tear — to rip
  3. board — a committee
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rush — hurry
  9. board — to get on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. plane — a tool
  13. game — wild animals
  14. kick — in football
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. tear — from crying
  19. suit — to fit
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. suit — clothes
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. suit — in cards

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