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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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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: mug · squash · present · hide · branch · board · last · ground

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ground — a position
  3. present — a gift
  4. last — finally
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mug — to rob
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. branch — a division
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mug — a cup
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. board — a committee
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. present — there
  17. mug — a face
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. present — the time now
  20. last — to go on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ground — crushed
  23. last — final
  24. hide — animal skin

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