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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 124 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hand — in cards
  3. shower — rain
  4. mug — a cup
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. board — to get on
  9. key — for a lock
  10. hand — help
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — in music
  15. mug — a face
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. mouse — the animal

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