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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. clip — for paper
  3. last — final
  4. drill — the tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. last — to go on
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — finally
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. clip — a video
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. clip — to cut
  19. drill — a practice
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. drill — army training
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. board — to get on
  24. pound — a weight

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