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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 · board · row · capital · dip · saw · fall · mouse

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. dip — to sink
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. squash — to crush
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. board — to get on
  9. row — a line
  10. capital — a city
  11. board — a committee
  12. capital — money
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. squash — the sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fall — to drop
  24. dip — a sauce

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