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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. board — to get on
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. key — for a lock
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. board — a committee
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stock — goods
  12. vault — a safe
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stock — shares
  18. tear — from crying
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. prune — to trim

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