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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to confront
  6. drill — army training
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. file — a tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. file — a document
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. board — a committee
  16. drill — a practice
  17. board — to get on
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. key — for a lock
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. drill — the tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitcher — a jug

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