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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. current — electric
  7. shower — to wash
  8. dip — to sink
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. board — a committee
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. shower — rain
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. board — to get on
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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