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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. board — to get on
  5. can — to be able to
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. season — in sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. squash — the sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — a committee
  15. season — of the year
  16. perch — the fish
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. can — a tin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rash — a series
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. season — to add flavour

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