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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. race — a contest
  3. cue — for pool
  4. last — finally
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. race — humankind
  11. stem — to come from
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. race — the arms race
  14. squash — to crush
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. last — final
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. last — to go on
  21. cue — a signal
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cue — a hint
  24. nail — for a hammer

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