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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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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: jam · march · board · race · lash · hide · mouse · game

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. board — a committee
  7. game — a match
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. march — the month
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. race — humankind
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. march — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. race — a contest

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