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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. board — to get on
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. squash — the sport
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. board — a committee
  24. bear — the animal

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