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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. row — a line
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. board — a committee
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rest — what's left
  11. drill — army training
  12. game — a match
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. game — wild animals
  15. row — to paddle
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pound — a weight
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. board — to get on
  23. drill — a practice
  24. ruler — for measuring

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