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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: cap · ruler · ground · nail · leaves · board · kick · date

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. board — to get on
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ground — crushed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cap — a hat
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cap — of ice
  14. kick — in football
  15. ground — the earth
  16. board — a committee
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. cap — a lid
  21. date — the fruit
  22. ground — a position
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. leaves — of a tree

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