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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cap — a hat
  5. key — the most important part
  6. content — the amount
  7. ground — a position
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cap — of ice
  11. board — a committee
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. shower — to wash
  16. content — happy
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stand — to bear
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. ground — the earth
  21. shower — rain
  22. ground — crushed
  23. board — to get on
  24. stand — for spectators

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