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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. race — the arms race
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — to drill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lean — thin
  8. board — to get on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — to bend
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. court — for sport
  15. race — humankind
  16. board — a committee
  17. court — of law
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. race — a contest
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bore — to tire
  24. court — of a king

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