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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — humankind
  8. board — a committee
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. ground — a position
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ground — crushed
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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