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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.

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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: toast · present · rush · tear · arm · board · spring · squash

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tear — from crying
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. tear — from crying
  9. spring — of water
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. spring — the season
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. present — the time now
  14. squash — the sport
  15. present — a gift
  16. board — to get on
  17. toast — bread
  18. present — there
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. tear — to rip
  21. rush — hurry
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. squash — to crush

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