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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. board — to get on
  8. tube — a container
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. race — humankind
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. race — a contest
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chair — a leader
  17. tube — the underground
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. race — the arms race
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ruler — a monarch

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