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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stem — to come from
  4. board — to get on
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. plane — a tool
  9. snap — to click
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bass — low music
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. land — a country
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bass — the fish
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. land — to come down
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. land — ground
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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