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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rule — government
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. branch — a division
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wound — an injury
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rule — a law
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. board — a committee
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wound — an injury
  21. chair — a leader
  22. staff — employees
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. staff — employees

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