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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 124 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. key — for a lock
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. drill — a practice
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. board — a committee
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. drill — army training
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. roll — a list
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. key — in music

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