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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. foot — a measure
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mine — for digging
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. squash — to crush
  11. board — a committee
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bound — tied together
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. board — to get on
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. toast — bread
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — certain

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