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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cold — an illness
  5. dip — to sink
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. face — part of the head
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cold — not warm
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. face — to confront
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. face — to point toward
  20. board — to get on
  21. squash — to crush
  22. board — a committee
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pound — a weight

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