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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bass — low music
  3. key — in music
  4. march — the month
  5. board — to get on
  6. lean — to bend
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lean — thin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. track — a song
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. key — the most important part

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