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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. cap — of ice
  6. board — a committee
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — in music
  9. fall — the season
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rest — a break
  17. key — the most important part
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fork — in a road
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cap — a lid
  24. board — to get on

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