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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · degree · rest · toast · hand · mug · wound · board

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hand — in cards
  7. toast — bread
  8. board — a committee
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. present — the time now
  13. wound — an injury
  14. present — there
  15. mug — a face
  16. present — a gift
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — from a university
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wound — an injury
  22. board — to get on
  23. rest — what's left
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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