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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. snap — to click
  3. spring — the season
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. board — a committee
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. lean — to bend
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. spring — a coil
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. can — a tin
  16. root — of a word
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. spring — of water
  19. can — a tin
  20. lean — thin
  21. sharp — clever
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. sharp — with an edge

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