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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. board — a committee
  3. squash — to crush
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bat — the animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chip — to eat
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. craft — boats
  21. dip — to sink
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. chest — of your body

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