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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a tool
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — bread
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fall — the season
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — the most important part
  11. current — of water
  12. key — for a lock
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wake — a trail
  18. board — a committee
  19. file — a document
  20. board — to get on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. current — happening now
  23. file — a line of people
  24. board — a flat piece

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