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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. game — a match
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. chip — for betting
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. lean — to bend
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. dip — to sink
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. game — wild animals
  22. board — to get on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. branch — a division

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