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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. face — to point toward
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. bass — the fish
  10. face — part of the head
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. squash — to crush
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. face — to confront
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pit — a hole
  22. squash — the sport
  23. board — to get on
  24. bark — of a tree

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