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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: nail · season · wind · plane · shower · key · board · bark

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wind — moving air
  6. season — of the year
  7. plane — a tool
  8. shower — to wash
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. key — in music
  17. board — to get on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. key — for a lock
  20. season — in sport
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. shower — rain
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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