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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: cabinet · rule · lean · board · bowl · mine · race · craft

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mine — for digging
  5. board — a committee
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rule — a law
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. race — humankind
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rule — government
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. board — to get on
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. craft — boats

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