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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: straw · row · board · last · bay · season · nail · race

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. race — the arms race
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. last — finally
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. board — a committee
  15. row — a line
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. race — a contest
  18. season — of the year
  19. last — to go on
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. race — humankind
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. board — to get on

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