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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: kick · lie · chest · key · fork · board · lean · firm

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. key — the most important part
  3. firm — a company
  4. chest — a box
  5. fork — in a road
  6. firm — steady
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kick — in football
  10. board — to get on
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chest — of your body
  13. lean — thin
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. key — in music
  17. lean — to bend
  18. firm — decided
  19. board — a committee
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. chest — of your body
  24. lean — to rest against

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