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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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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: squash · lean · wound · stand · charge · court · board · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. board — to get on
  7. court — of a king
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. squash — to crush
  10. charge — a price
  11. court — of law
  12. firm — a company
  13. lean — thin
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. board — a committee
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. squash — the sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. lean — to bend
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stand — to bear
  23. court — for sport
  24. firm — steady

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