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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hand — help
  5. spring — of water
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. board — a committee
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. spring — a coil
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. spring — the season
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ground — a position
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. board — to get on

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