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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. board — a committee
  3. file — a tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. court — of a king
  8. season — of the year
  9. board — to get on
  10. court — of law
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. file — a document
  18. season — in sport
  19. file — a line of people
  20. court — for sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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