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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · stick · tube · roll · kick · lie · charge · sharp

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. board — to get on
  3. tube — the underground
  4. kick — in football
  5. roll — a cake
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — in control
  8. sharp — clever
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. board — a committee
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. charge — electricity
  16. lie — to recline
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. tube — a container
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. roll — a list
  21. charge — a price
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. lie — an untruth

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