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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. board — to get on
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. toast — bread
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. game — wild animals
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rash — hasty
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. board — a committee
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wind — moving air
  21. game — a match
  22. rash — a series
  23. wind — moving air
  24. tube — a container

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