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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. root — the cause
  3. board — a committee
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. last — final
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. root — of a word
  11. board — to get on
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fine — high quality
  16. key — in music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. last — to go on
  19. ball — a great time
  20. last — finally
  21. key — for a lock
  22. root — of a plant
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fine — all right

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