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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rule — government
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rule — a law
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. board — a committee
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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