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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. toast — bread
  7. squash — the sport
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. board — a committee
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stand — to bear
  15. board — to get on
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. wound — an injury
  18. chest — of your body
  19. squash — to crush
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chest — a box

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