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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. board — a committee
  3. key — for a lock
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ground — a position
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. key — the most important part
  16. deal — to handle
  17. board — to get on
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mate — a partner
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ground — the earth
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — a big deal

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