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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. present — there
  4. board — a committee
  5. drill — army training
  6. present — a gift
  7. field — a subject
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lean — to bend
  10. drill — a practice
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. field — for sport
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. drill — the tool
  22. field — farmland
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. present — the time now

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