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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 120 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fall — the season
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. band — a music group
  11. hand — help
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — to crush
  14. band — a ring
  15. hand — in cards
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rush — hurry
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rush — a thrill

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