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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. shower — rain
  3. season — in sport
  4. key — the most important part
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. board — to get on
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. board — a committee
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. object — a thing
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. object — an aim
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. season — of the year
  22. tube — a container
  23. object — to protest
  24. shower — to wash

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