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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. tear — to rip
  13. hand — help
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rash — hasty
  17. board — to get on
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. board — a committee
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rash — a series
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. board — a flat piece

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