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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. board — to get on
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — an aim
  5. race — humankind
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. race — a contest
  8. board — a committee
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rash — hasty
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. object — a thing
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rash — a series
  18. band — a music group
  19. object — to protest
  20. band — a ring
  21. race — the arms race
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. deal — to handle
  24. board — a flat piece

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