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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. clip — to cut
  3. land — a country
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. land — to come down
  8. lean — to bend
  9. club — a group
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lean — thin
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. key — the most important part
  19. land — ground
  20. key — in music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. club — for golf
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. club — for dancing

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