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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. firm — steady
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. press — to push
  9. foot — a measure
  10. firm — decided
  11. race — a contest
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. board — to get on
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. race — humankind
  24. board — a flat piece

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