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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mate — a friend
  3. tear — from crying
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mate — a partner
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. row — to paddle
  8. track — to keep track
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. board — to get on
  14. chest — a box
  15. bound — tied together
  16. tear — to rip
  17. track — a path
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mate — to breed
  23. track — a song
  24. bound — certain

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