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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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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 · tube · stand · wound · race · board · present · lash

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stand — to bear
  4. race — the arms race
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. board — a committee
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. board — to get on
  14. race — a contest
  15. squash — to crush
  16. race — humankind
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. squash — the vegetable

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