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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rush — hurry
  5. craft — boats
  6. board — a committee
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lean — thin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. board — to get on
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. mate — a partner
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — to rest against

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