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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · rash · row · board · chair · saw · stem · present

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. present — the time now
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rash — a series
  9. saw — the tool
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. present — a gift
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. present — there
  14. board — a committee
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rash — hasty
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. row — a line
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stem — to come from
  24. board — to get on

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