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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. squash — to crush
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. deal — to handle
  10. board — a committee
  11. fall — the season
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bass — low music
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. board — to get on
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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