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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. race — humankind
  6. board — a committee
  7. swing — to play on
  8. sharp — clever
  9. race — the arms race
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. swing — music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. suit — in cards
  14. swing — in golf
  15. race — a contest
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wound — an injury
  20. suit — clothes
  21. board — to get on
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. suit — to fit

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