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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. board — to get on
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. race — humankind
  5. rest — what's left
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. board — a committee
  8. rest — a break
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mug — a cup
  12. degree — from a university
  13. race — a contest
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. race — the arms race
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. degree — temperature
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mug — a face

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