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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: squash · rest · cabinet · board · wound · present · bound · bulb

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. rest — a break
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — what's left
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bulb — for light
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bound — certain
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bound — tied together
  20. board — to get on
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. squash — to crush
  23. present — a gift
  24. cabinet — ministers

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