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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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Word bank
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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. spring — of water
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spring — the season
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. date — the fruit
  14. race — a contest
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. board — a committee
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. board — to get on

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