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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. race — humankind
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — a company
  5. board — to get on
  6. pit — in a race
  7. board — a committee
  8. race — a contest
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pit — a hole
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. race — the arms race
  20. firm — decided
  21. rest — a break
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. firm — steady
  24. lash — to lash out

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