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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mate — to breed
  5. squash — the sport
  6. staff — employees
  7. clip — a video
  8. mate — a partner
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mate — a friend
  12. staff — employees
  13. board — a committee
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. staff — a stick

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