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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cap · spell · board · mug · shower · toast · arm · squash

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. squash — to crush
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. board — a committee
  5. cap — a lid
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mug — a cup
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cap — of ice
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. squash — the sport
  12. shower — to wash
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. spell — magic
  18. mug — a face
  19. toast — bread
  20. shower — rain
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cap — a hat
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. board — to get on

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