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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. spring — a coil
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. object — to protest
  6. spring — the season
  7. object — a thing
  8. race — the arms race
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rash — a series
  11. board — a committee
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. object — an aim
  15. spring — of water
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. net — in sport
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. race — humankind
  21. rash — hasty
  22. board — to get on
  23. net — for catching
  24. calf — a young animal

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