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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: date · key · lash · board · deal · hide · fall · row

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fall — the season
  3. key — for a lock
  4. date — the fruit
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. row — a line
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. deal — to handle
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. row — to paddle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. board — a committee
  22. fall — to drop
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. hide — to keep secret

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