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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. board — a committee
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. board — to get on
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wind — moving air

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