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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. track — to keep track
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. board — a committee
  6. track — a song
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. board — to get on
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mark — a grade
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. face — part of the head
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. race — humankind
  23. track — a path
  24. nail — for a hammer

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