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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. plane — a tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cold — not warm
  9. board — a committee
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pit — a hole
  14. board — to get on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cold — an illness
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ruler — for measuring

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