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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. board — to get on
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. toast — bread
  6. kid — child
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bark — to shout
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. race — a contest
  12. rule — a law
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. board — a committee
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. race — humankind
  17. rule — government
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. race — the arms race
  24. swing — music

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