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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. drill — the tool
  4. last — finally
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. last — to go on
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fine — high quality
  9. drill — army training
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fine — all right
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. drill — a practice
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. board — a committee
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. last — final
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cabinet — ministers

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