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

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. rash — a series
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. board — a committee
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. key — the most important part
  12. date — the fruit
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. key — in music
  15. season — in sport
  16. key — for a lock
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. board — to get on
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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