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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 · foot · wind · current · board · chest · fine · lie

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. wind — moving air
  6. current — of water
  7. kick — in football
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. chest — of your body
  10. board — a committee
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chest — a box
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fine — all right
  17. current — electric
  18. board — to get on
  19. lie — to recline
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fine — high quality
  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