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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. race — the arms race
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. race — a contest
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. present — the time now
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hand — in cards
  12. board — a committee
  13. present — a gift
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. present — there
  19. race — humankind
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. board — to get on
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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