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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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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: cap · key · plane · wind · charge · board · fall · bear

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. board — to get on
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cap — a lid
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. key — in music
  11. fall — the season
  12. charge — a price
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. fall — to drop
  15. charge — in control
  16. fall — to drop
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cap — a hat
  19. board — a committee
  20. wind — moving air
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cap — of ice

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