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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. squash — to crush
  3. row — a line
  4. board — to get on
  5. squash — the sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. board — a committee
  10. cap — a lid
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cap — a hat
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wound — an injury
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wound — an injury
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. board — a flat piece

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