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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: cell · kick · mate · land · stick · board · foot · object

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — a phone
  3. kick — in football
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. mate — to breed
  8. foot — a measure
  9. board — a committee
  10. object — to protest
  11. land — to come down
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. object — a thing
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. land — a country
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. land — ground
  20. board — to get on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. object — an aim
  24. board — a flat piece

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