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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. shower — rain
  2. lean — thin
  3. tube — a container
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. tube — the underground
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. board — a committee
  12. lean — to bend
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. season — of the year
  19. land — a country
  20. shower — to wash
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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