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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: cap · lash · race · board · stand · cell · charge · sharp

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cell — a phone
  4. race — a contest
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — clever
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. cap — of ice
  10. charge — electricity
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stand — to bear
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cap — a hat
  18. charge — a price
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. race — humankind
  23. charge — in control
  24. stand — for spectators

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