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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: board · face · wind · sharp · row · object · key · racket

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wind — moving air
  3. face — to point toward
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — an aim
  7. face — part of the head
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. board — to get on
  10. key — in music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wind — moving air
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. board — a committee
  15. row — a line
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. object — to protest
  18. key — the most important part
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. key — for a lock
  23. face — to confront
  24. sharp — clever

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