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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: object · board · cabinet · degree · mate · straw · nail · squash

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. object — a thing
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — to get on
  7. object — to protest
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. degree — temperature
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mate — a partner
  22. object — an aim
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mate — a friend

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