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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 116 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: kick · lash · board · lean · fork · bound · craft · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. craft — boats
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bound — tied together
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bound — certain
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. board — a committee
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. board — to get on
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fork — in a road
  20. kick — in football
  21. deal — to handle
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lean — thin

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