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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — for a lock
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. key — the most important part
  6. drill — a practice
  7. board — to get on
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. spell — letters
  10. object — a thing
  11. snap — to click
  12. drill — army training
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. object — to protest
  15. mug — a face
  16. tube — a container
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mug — a cup
  20. key — in music
  21. spell — a short time
  22. object — an aim
  23. board — a committee
  24. spell — magic

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