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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — a committee
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cold — not warm
  8. shower — to wash
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. shower — rain
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bank — for money
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — ministers

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