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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: race · arm · shower · bay · mate · current · mark · board

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mate — a partner
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — to breed
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. mate — a friend
  11. race — a contest
  12. shower — to wash
  13. current — happening now
  14. mark — a trace
  15. board — a committee
  16. race — humankind
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. board — to get on
  20. shower — rain
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mark — a grade
  23. race — the arms race
  24. board — a flat piece

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