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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cap — of ice
  3. board — to get on
  4. key — the most important part
  5. shower — rain
  6. key — for a lock
  7. spell — letters
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cap — a hat
  12. spell — a short time
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. race — humankind
  16. shower — to wash
  17. spell — magic
  18. key — in music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. race — a contest
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cap — a lid

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