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

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rest — a break
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rash — hasty
  5. board — a committee
  6. race — the arms race
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. race — a contest
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — humankind
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rash — a series
  21. board — to get on
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rest — what's left
  24. board — a flat piece

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