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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. current — happening now
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. wave — of the sea

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