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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. hand — help
  4. object — an aim
  5. board — to get on
  6. hand — in cards
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. object — a thing
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. board — a committee
  16. net — in sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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