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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. board — a committee
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. board — to get on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. row — a line

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