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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. key — for a lock
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. land — to come down
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. key — the most important part
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. land — ground
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. season — in sport
  18. drill — army training
  19. land — a country
  20. season — of the year
  21. board — a committee
  22. drill — a practice
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wind — moving air

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