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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. race — a contest
  6. board — to get on
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. object — an aim
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pass — a permit
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wind — moving air
  14. board — a committee
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wind — moving air
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. swing — to play on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. race — humankind
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. object — a thing

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