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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. lean — thin
  3. board — a committee
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. drill — army training
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bound — certain
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bound — obliged
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bound — tied together
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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