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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 120 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. board — to get on
  3. pass — a permit
  4. board — a committee
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. ground — crushed
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — the earth
  19. drill — a practice
  20. ground — a position
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. wake — a trail

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