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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · deal · plane · squash · board · present

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. present — the time now
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. squash — to crush
  9. tear — to rip
  10. present — there
  11. tear — from crying
  12. present — a gift
  13. plane — a tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. deal — to handle
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tear — from crying

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