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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a committee
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — of the year
  10. squash — the sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wound — an injury
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. season — in sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. squash — to crush
  23. board — to get on
  24. pound — a weight

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