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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. net — in sport
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. net — for catching
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. race — the arms race
  10. face — to confront
  11. rush — hurry
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. board — a committee
  14. race — a contest
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. season — in sport
  17. board — to get on
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. net — after costs
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. season — of the year

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