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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. game — wild animals
  4. board — a committee
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. race — the arms race
  8. object — a thing
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stand — to bear
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — a contest
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. game — a match
  18. object — to protest
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. object — an aim
  22. race — humankind
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. board — to get on

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