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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. tear — to rip
  4. spell — a short time
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spell — letters
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. key — in music
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. spell — magic
  12. key — the most important part
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. hand — in cards
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ball — a dance
  18. plane — a tool
  19. board — to get on
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. hand — help
  24. tear — from crying

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