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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. field — a subject
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wound — an injury
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. key — in music
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mate — a friend
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. key — for a lock
  19. field — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. field — farmland

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