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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fine — all right
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — to get on
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fine — high quality
  11. shower — to wash
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. key — in music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. board — a committee
  21. file — a tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. shower — rain
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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