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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. season — of the year
  3. rule — government
  4. wound — an injury
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wound — an injury
  7. key — in music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. board — a committee
  10. can — to be able to
  11. key — for a lock
  12. board — to get on
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. march — the month
  16. season — in sport
  17. march — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — a trail
  20. march — the month
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. can — a tin

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