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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bass — low music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. race — humankind
  5. rock — music
  6. board — to get on
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. object — a thing
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. object — to protest
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bear — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. bass — the fish
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lean — thin
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — an aim
  24. race — a contest

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