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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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468
Word bank
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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rest — what's left
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rule — government
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rule — a law
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rest — what's left
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. capital — money
  19. capital — a city
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cell — in biology
  22. key — the most important part
  23. rest — a break
  24. board — to get on

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