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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · last · staff · board · rash · race · rest · saw

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. last — to go on
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. last — final
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — a series
  11. race — humankind
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. board — to get on
  14. rash — hasty
  15. saw — the tool
  16. tube — a container
  17. race — a contest
  18. tube — the underground
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. race — the arms race
  22. board — a committee
  23. rest — a break
  24. tube — in a tire

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