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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: mate · wake · board · mark · band · rush · race · suit

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rush — hurry
  4. wake — a trail
  5. race — a contest
  6. band — a ring
  7. race — the arms race
  8. board — a committee
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. race — humankind
  11. suit — in cards
  12. band — a music group
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mate — a partner
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mate — a friend

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