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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. land — a country
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. board — to get on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. land — ground
  11. fine — all right
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. mark — a grade
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. sharp — clever
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. land — to come down
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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