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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · fall · kid · stick · board · key

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fall — to drop
  4. board — to get on
  5. key — for a lock
  6. kid — to tease
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. kid — child
  12. board — a committee
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fall — to drop
  16. key — in music
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stick — a piece of wood

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