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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.

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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: board · kick · ground · chest · snap · staff · row · ruler

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. board — to get on
  9. snap — to click
  10. ground — a position
  11. staff — employees
  12. chest — a box
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ground — the earth
  15. staff — employees
  16. kick — in football
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. row — a line
  19. staff — a stick
  20. row — to paddle
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — a committee
  24. chest — of your 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