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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — a line
  6. march — the month
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. march — music
  9. tear — to rip
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. tear — from crying
  12. board — a committee
  13. present — a gift
  14. march — the month
  15. tear — from crying
  16. present — the time now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. present — there
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. row — to paddle
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ruler — a monarch

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