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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · squash · racket · arm · straw · mouse · pop · hide

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. squash — to crush
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. pop — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pop — to visit
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. board — a committee
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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