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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. dip — to sink
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spell — magic
  8. branch — a division
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. board — to get on
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. spell — a short time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. prune — to trim
  17. board — a committee
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spell — letters
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. game — a match
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. game — wild animals

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