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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cap — a lid
  5. board — to get on
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fine — all right
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. cap — a hat
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. fine — high quality
  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