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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rash — a series
  3. squash — the sport
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rest — a break
  9. squash — to crush
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. board — to get on
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rest — what's left
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. board — a committee
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. band — a ring

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