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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · file · chest · board · object · stand

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. race — a contest
  3. chest — of your body
  4. board — a committee
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chest — a box
  7. object — a thing
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. file — a tool
  10. object — to protest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. object — an aim
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. race — humankind
  16. chest — of your body
  17. file — a document
  18. stand — on your feet

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