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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.

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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. last — final
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. game — wild animals
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fall — the season
  12. present — a gift
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fall — to drop
  16. present — the time now
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. board — to get on
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stem — to come from
  22. present — there
  23. board — a committee
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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