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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. race — a contest
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. sharp — clever
  8. pit — a hole
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. board — a committee
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. deal — to handle
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pit — in a race

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