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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 120 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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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: staff · kick · safe · prune · hide · swing · saw · board

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. swing — music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. staff — employees
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. prune — to trim
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — to play on
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — in football
  21. board — to get on
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — a committee
  24. swing — in golf

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