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

Word bank: land · snap · hide · bay · game · board · ruler · mate

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mate — to breed
  10. board — to get on
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. land — ground
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mate — a partner
  19. snap — to click
  20. board — a committee
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mate — a friend

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