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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 120 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: rest · patient · squash · board · stand · lie · wind · dip

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. dip — to sink
  3. board — a committee
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rest — a break
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lie — to recline
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stand — to bear
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. squash — to crush
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. board — to get on
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. lie — an untruth

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