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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. key — in music
  3. craft — boats
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bound — obliged
  7. board — to get on
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. bound — certain
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bound — tied together
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pop — to visit
  16. key — the most important part
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lean — to bend
  19. board — a committee
  20. lean — thin
  21. plane — a tool
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. kick — in football

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