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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. key — in music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. race — the arms race
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — to get on
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — humankind
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. last — to go on
  14. bass — the fish
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. board — a committee
  21. bass — low music
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. last — finally
  24. calf — a young animal

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