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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. present — there
  5. bank — for money
  6. present — the time now
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. board — to get on
  10. key — for a lock
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a committee
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bank — of a river
  18. file — a document
  19. present — a gift
  20. file — a tool
  21. key — in music
  22. bore — to drill
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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