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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. march — music
  6. board — to get on
  7. hand — help
  8. board — a committee
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — the month
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. kick — in football
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. wax — to grow
  22. key — in music
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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