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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: degree · snap · stand · toast · board · wound · dip · cabinet

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. board — to get on
  3. stand — to bear
  4. dip — to sink
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. toast — bread
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. degree — an amount
  21. snap — to click
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — a committee
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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