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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. board — to get on
  3. mate — a friend
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. race — humankind
  8. squash — the sport
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bank — for money
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. mate — a partner
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. board — a committee
  19. mate — to breed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. squash — to crush
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bank — for money
  24. squash — the vegetable

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