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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. staff — employees
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. hand — in cards
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — a friend
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. staff — employees
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — help
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. staff — a stick
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. shower — rain
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. hand — part of the body

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