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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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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: hand · snap · bark · squash · board · safe · rule · cabinet

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. squash — to crush
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. board — to get on
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hand — in cards
  11. rule — a law
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. snap — to click
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rule — government
  24. hand — help

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