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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — a committee
  4. rock — a stone
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rest — a break
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — thin
  13. net — in sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. net — for catching
  20. board — to get on
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wound — an injury
  23. net — after costs
  24. lean — to rest against

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