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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. season — of the year
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bound — obliged
  6. board — to get on
  7. season — in sport
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. board — a committee
  12. wake — a trail
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rock — a stone
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rock — music

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