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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 116 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. board — a committee
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rest — a break
  12. cell — in biology
  13. squash — the sport
  14. cell — a phone
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. fine — all right
  24. board — to get on

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