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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. race — humankind
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. net — after costs
  10. mate — a partner
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. race — the arms race
  14. board — to get on
  15. net — in sport
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. net — for catching
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. race — a contest
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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