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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rock — music
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kid — child
  6. mug — a face
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. board — to get on
  10. mug — a cup
  11. race — the arms race
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. kid — to tease
  16. board — a committee
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mug — to rob
  19. race — a contest
  20. rock — a stone
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. lash — an eyelash

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