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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: rash · wave · board · mug · lean · arm · squash · cold

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rash — a series
  4. board — to get on
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. mug — a cup
  7. cold — an illness
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. board — a committee
  16. rash — hasty
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. mug — a face
  20. cold — not warm
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mug — to rob
  23. lean — thin
  24. rash — on the 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