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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. board — to get on
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. board — a committee
  9. suit — to fit
  10. rush — hurry
  11. suit — clothes
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lean — thin
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lean — to bend
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cold — not warm
  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