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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 124 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. key — in music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. key — the most important part
  6. clip — a video
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. key — for a lock
  9. row — a line
  10. board — to get on
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lean — thin
  14. clip — to cut
  15. lean — to bend
  16. clip — for paper
  17. row — to paddle
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. board — a committee
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. snap — to click
  24. safe — out of danger

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