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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. dip — to sink
  8. roll — a cake
  9. board — to get on
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. board — a committee
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — a contest
  16. roll — a list
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. race — humankind
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rash — a series

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