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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — to get on
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. board — a committee
  7. wind — moving air
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. march — the month
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. march — the month
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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