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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 124 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bass — low music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kid — child
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. season — in sport
  12. shower — to wash
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. board — to get on
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. board — a committee
  23. season — of the year
  24. bass — the fish

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