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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 116 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. race — a contest
  3. board — to get on
  4. race — humankind
  5. bulb — for light
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — wild animals
  9. lean — to bend
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lean — thin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. game — a match
  14. board — a committee
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. race — the arms race
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. branch — a division
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bulb — of a plant

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