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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. wake — a trail
  3. degree — from a university
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chest — of your body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. suit — to fit
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chest — of your body
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. board — to get on
  15. perch — the fish
  16. suit — clothes
  17. degree — an amount
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. degree — temperature
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. suit — in cards
  22. squash — to crush
  23. board — a committee
  24. safe — a strongbox

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