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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. court — of a king
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. court — for sport
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — to get on
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. court — of law
  24. board — a committee

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