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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 · wind · hand · chair · suit · club · plane

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. suit — in cards
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. club — for dancing
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. board — to get on
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. suit — to fit
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. club — a group
  20. board — a committee
  21. suit — clothes
  22. club — for golf
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — 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