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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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Word bank
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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: suit · wake · squash · board · fork · fall

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. fork — in a road
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fall — to drop
  9. suit — to fit
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wake — a trail
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fall — the season
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wake — before a funeral

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