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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rock — music
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. race — a contest
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. root — the cause
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. root — of a word
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. root — of a plant
  17. season — of the year
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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