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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mug — to rob
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. board — to get on
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. last — final
  14. board — a committee
  15. spring — of water
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. last — finally
  18. mug — a face
  19. last — to go on
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spring — the season
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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