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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. spell — letters
  3. file — a document
  4. spell — a short time
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mine — for digging
  12. spell — magic
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. current — electric
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pass — a permit
  23. file — a tool
  24. mine — belonging to me

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