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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. root — of a plant
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. root — the cause
  7. game — wild animals
  8. key — in music
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. root — of a word
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spell — magic
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — a match
  15. spell — a short time
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fall — the season
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — letters
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. fall — to drop
  24. game — a kind of play

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