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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fine — all right
  7. rock — music
  8. key — in music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. game — wild animals
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fine — high quality
  13. wake — a trail
  14. game — a match
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. board — to get on
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wound — an injury
  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