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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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Word bank
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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: board · leaves · race · fine · cap · stick · present · wake

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. present — a gift
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fine — high quality
  8. board — to get on
  9. race — humankind
  10. present — the time now
  11. cap — a lid
  12. race — a contest
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — there
  15. cap — of ice
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wake — a trail
  18. board — a committee
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. race — the arms race
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fine — a penalty

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