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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — to get on
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. board — a committee
  8. net — for catching
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lean — to bend
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — an illness
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

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