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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. board — to get on
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. key — in music
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. key — the most important part
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. key — for a lock
  15. last — final
  16. deal — to handle
  17. last — to go on
  18. drill — the tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wake — a trail
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. last — finally

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