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

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. board — a committee
  3. saw — the tool
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. squash — to crush
  6. board — to get on
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lean — to bend
  13. race — a contest
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lean — thin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. race — humankind
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. leaves — to go away

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