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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. face — to point toward
  4. staff — employees
  5. object — an aim
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. staff — a stick
  9. squash — to crush
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. race — a contest
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. race — the arms race
  16. object — to protest
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. squash — the sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. race — humankind
  22. object — a thing
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. staff — employees

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