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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rush — hurry
  5. club — for golf
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. game — a match
  13. board — a committee
  14. rest — what's left
  15. club — a group
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. club — for dancing
  19. board — to get on
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. rest — a break
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. game — wild animals

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