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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pass — a permit
  4. current — happening now
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. board — to get on
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. board — a committee
  11. chip — to eat
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. current — of water
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chip — for betting
  18. key — in music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. current — electric
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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