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

Word bank: board · lash · sharp · degree · stand · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. board — a committee
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. degree — from a university
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. degree — an amount
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. degree — temperature
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stand — to bear
  16. board — to get on
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stand — on your feet

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