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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wound · chair · club · net · bay · kick · fan · object

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. net — in sport
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. club — a group
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kick — in football
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. object — an aim
  12. club — for dancing
  13. net — for catching
  14. object — to protest
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. net — after costs
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. club — for golf
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. object — a thing
  24. chair — a leader

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