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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. key — the most important part
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. key — in music
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. board — a committee
  8. key — for a lock
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. land — ground
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. land — a country
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. board — to get on
  20. land — to come down
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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