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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. degree — an amount
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. hand — help
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stand — to bear
  12. squash — to crush
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. sharp — clever
  16. saw — the tool
  17. degree — temperature
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. squash — the sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. sharp — exactly
  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