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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. board — to get on
  4. squash — the sport
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. band — a music group
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — army training
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. band — a ring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stem — to come from
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. board — a committee
  24. squash — to crush

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