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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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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 · cold · wound · board · nail · stem · snap · suit

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. suit — clothes
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. suit — in cards
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. cold — an illness
  9. wound — an injury
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stem — to come from
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wound — an injury
  16. squash — to crush
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. snap — to click

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