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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. wind — moving air
  3. staff — employees
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. object — to protest
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. race — humankind
  15. object — a thing
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. race — the arms race
  19. kick — in football
  20. staff — employees
  21. board — to get on
  22. ball — a great time
  23. object — an aim
  24. board — a committee

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