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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 120 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. key — for a lock
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. object — to protest
  4. snap — to click
  5. content — the amount
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. content — happy
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. object — an aim
  10. wind — moving air
  11. object — a thing
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. board — a committee
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. board — to get on
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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