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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. race — the arms race
  3. degree — temperature
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. row — a line
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. degree — from a university
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. race — a contest
  14. board — a committee
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rest — a break
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rest — what's left
  21. race — humankind
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. sharp — exactly

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