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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. key — the most important part
  3. season — of the year
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rest — a break
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. key — in music
  11. season — in sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. root — of a plant
  15. rash — hasty
  16. key — for a lock
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. root — the cause
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. chest — a box
  21. rash — a series
  22. root — of a word
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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