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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. race — a contest
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mark — a trace
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. drill — the tool
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tear — to rip
  14. race — humankind
  15. roll — a cake
  16. drill — a practice
  17. race — the arms race
  18. board — a committee
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. roll — a list
  21. tear — from crying
  22. drill — army training
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. squash — the sport

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