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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. board — a committee
  3. race — a contest
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. race — humankind
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. spell — letters
  8. race — the arms race
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rash — hasty
  11. spell — a short time
  12. game — a match
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. board — to get on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — a series
  23. game — wild animals
  24. board — a flat piece

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