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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. drill — a practice
  3. board — a committee
  4. spell — a short time
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. spring — the season
  8. face — to point toward
  9. spring — of water
  10. key — for a lock
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spell — magic
  16. lie — to recline
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. key — in music
  21. club — for golf
  22. key — the most important part
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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