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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. board — to get on
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. row — a line
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. board — a committee
  13. lie — to recline
  14. row — to paddle
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. root — the cause
  19. drill — army training
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. squash — to crush
  24. board — a flat piece

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