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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bass — low music
  8. board — a committee
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fall — to drop
  17. board — to get on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fall — the season
  24. lash — an eyelash

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