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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · rock · board · current · land · stick · race · squash

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. race — the arms race
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. land — a country
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. squash — the sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. land — to come down
  11. race — a contest
  12. current — of water
  13. rock — music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. race — humankind
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — a committee
  23. land — ground
  24. lie — to recline

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