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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. kid — child
  3. mark — a trace
  4. board — a committee
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. present — the time now
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spring — a coil
  13. lean — thin
  14. spring — the season
  15. present — there
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. board — to get on
  19. tube — a container
  20. kid — to tease
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. present — a gift
  23. spring — of water
  24. tube — the underground

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