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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. ground — the earth
  8. squash — the sport
  9. plane — a tool
  10. band — a music group
  11. wind — moving air
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ground — crushed
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. squash — to crush
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ground — a position
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. date — the fruit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — moving air

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