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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. net — in sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. net — for catching
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. field — for sport
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. shower — to wash
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. stand — to bear
  15. board — a committee
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — after costs
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. field — farmland
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — a subject

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