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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. staff — employees
  3. key — in music
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. key — for a lock
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rule — government
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. season — in sport
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. key — the most important part
  16. season — of the year
  17. wind — moving air
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. rule — a law
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. foot — the bottom

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