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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. race — humankind
  3. board — a committee
  4. staff — employees
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bound — certain
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cold — not warm
  9. board — to get on
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. firm — a company
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bound — tied together
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cap — a lid
  17. firm — decided
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. firm — steady
  22. race — a contest
  23. cap — a hat
  24. race — the arms race

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