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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. row — a line
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. race — humankind
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. perch — the fish
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — in football
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. race — a contest
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. board — a committee

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