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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — a tin
  3. last — finally
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. board — to get on
  7. last — to go on
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mine — for digging
  10. can — to be able to
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. kid — to tease
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. kid — child
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. can — a tin
  22. last — final
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — an explosive

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