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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: foot · date · race · pass · board · straw · wave · chair

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. race — humankind
  3. foot — a measure
  4. chair — a leader
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. board — a committee
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pass — a permit
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. race — a contest
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. race — the arms race
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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