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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. field — a subject
  4. tube — the underground
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. field — farmland
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. board — to get on
  11. rash — a series
  12. fall — the season
  13. tube — a container
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. field — for sport
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rash — hasty
  24. board — a committee

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