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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. file — a tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. race — humankind
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. board — a committee
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. race — the arms race
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. board — to get on
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ground — a position
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wake — a trail
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. race — a contest

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