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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. clip — to cut
  7. spring — the season
  8. squash — the sport
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. spring — a coil
  18. squash — to crush
  19. clip — a video
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. spring — of water
  23. snap — to click
  24. board — a committee

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