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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. chest — a box
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. board — a committee
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rule — a law
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — music
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chest — of your body
  16. roll — a list
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rash — a series
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. board — to get on
  24. rule — government

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