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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. plane — a tool
  9. race — a contest
  10. charge — a price
  11. tear — from crying
  12. charge — in control
  13. race — humankind
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. spring — of water
  16. root — of a word
  17. tear — from crying
  18. board — a committee
  19. root — of a plant
  20. race — the arms race
  21. tear — to rip
  22. charge — electricity
  23. root — the cause
  24. nail — for a hammer

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