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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. season — of the year
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. file — a tool
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. saw — the tool
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. file — a document
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. board — a committee
  19. chair — a leader
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. saw — the tool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. season — in sport

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