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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — humankind
  4. season — in sport
  5. race — the arms race
  6. board — to get on
  7. chest — a box
  8. board — a committee
  9. pop — music
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. race — a contest
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. mark — a grade
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pop — soda
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. season — of the year
  19. snap — to click
  20. mark — a trace
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pop — to visit
  23. coach — a trainer
  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