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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. ruler — a monarch
  2. board — to get on
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. content — the amount
  5. capital — a city
  6. plane — a tool
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — clever
  14. capital — money
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. board — a committee
  18. stem — to come from
  19. content — happy
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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