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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mate — a friend
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mate — to breed
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. can — a tin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mate — a partner
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — a tin
  24. squash — the sport

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