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

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. land — ground
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. face — to point toward
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. band — a music group
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. face — part of the head
  18. board — to get on
  19. plane — a tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. land — to come down
  22. band — a ring
  23. land — a country
  24. plane — in geometry

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