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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. present — a gift
  3. race — the arms race
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. track — a song
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. race — a contest
  10. cap — of ice
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. present — the time now
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. track — a path
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. present — there
  20. track — to keep track
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. board — to get on
  23. race — humankind
  24. board — a committee

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