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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. face — to confront
  3. present — the time now
  4. board — to get on
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ball — a dance
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ground — a position
  12. board — a committee
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. ground — the earth
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. squash — to crush
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. present — there
  21. face — part of the head
  22. present — a gift
  23. squash — the sport
  24. nail — on a finger

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