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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. firm — decided
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. board — a committee
  7. firm — a company
  8. firm — steady
  9. toast — bread
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. shower — to wash
  13. hand — help
  14. current — of water
  15. hand — in cards
  16. shower — rain
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. board — to get on
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. current — happening now
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. current — electric

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