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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. key — in music
  3. firm — decided
  4. key — the most important part
  5. firm — a company
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bear — the animal
  10. board — a committee
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. object — an aim
  15. key — for a lock
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. firm — steady
  18. object — a thing
  19. shower — rain
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. branch — a division
  24. bear — to put up with

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