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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. tear — from crying
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rest — what's left
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. board — to get on
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. board — a committee
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ball — a dance
  15. season — of the year
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. season — in sport
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rest — what's left
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rest — a break

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