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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 124 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: board · staff · fall · race · wave · present · arm · key

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. present — a gift
  5. fall — the season
  6. staff — employees
  7. board — to get on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. fall — to drop
  14. key — the most important part
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. present — the time now
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. race — a contest
  19. present — there
  20. key — for a lock
  21. staff — employees
  22. key — in music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wave — with your hand

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