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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — to get on
  4. key — in music
  5. degree — temperature
  6. object — a thing
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. board — a committee
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rest — what's left
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. drill — army training
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. drill — the tool
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. object — to protest
  24. rest — a break

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