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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 116 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 · cap · lean · straw · board · bore · wound · season

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bore — to tire
  6. season — in sport
  7. wound — an injury
  8. board — a committee
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lean — thin
  17. board — to get on
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cap — a lid
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. season — of the year
  24. cap — of ice

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