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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. firm — decided
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. squash — to crush
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. firm — steady
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. suit — to fit
  12. board — to get on
  13. squash — the sport
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ball — a dance
  17. firm — a company
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. suit — clothes
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. squash — the vegetable

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