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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 120 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. spring — the season
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wound — an injury
  7. board — a committee
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bulb — for light
  12. key — in music
  13. content — the amount
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. spring — a coil
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. board — to get on
  20. spring — of water
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. key — for a lock
  23. content — happy
  24. nail — for a hammer

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