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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hand — help
  4. board — to get on
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. saw — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. snap — to click
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. game — wild animals
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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