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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. prune — to trim
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. board — a committee
  6. shower — to wash
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. board — to get on
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. shower — rain
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. land — ground
  22. plane — a tool
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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