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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. last — finally
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. board — a committee
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. net — in sport
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. net — for catching
  13. last — final
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. board — to get on
  17. net — after costs
  18. file — a tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. last — to go on
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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