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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. land — a country
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. land — ground
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. key — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. key — the most important part
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. land — to come down
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. board — a committee
  24. kick — in football

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