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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. object — to protest
  11. mate — to breed
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. board — to get on
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lean — thin
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mate — a partner

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