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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bound — tied together
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. press — a publisher
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. board — a committee
  14. race — humankind
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cap — a lid
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cap — a hat
  22. board — to get on
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bound — certain

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