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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. craft — boats
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lean — thin
  6. suit — to fit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tear — to rip
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. board — to get on
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lean — to bend
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. board — a flat piece

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