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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 120 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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. bound — tied together
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wound — an injury
  9. vault — a safe
  10. kid — to tease
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bound — obliged
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — in sport
  19. board — to get on
  20. kid — child
  21. squash — the sport
  22. wound — an injury
  23. season — of the year
  24. bound — certain

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