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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: board · ruler · pit · snap · spring · plane · row · rock

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rock — music
  3. spring — of water
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pit — a hole
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. board — a committee
  11. spring — the season
  12. pit — in a race
  13. row — a line
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. spring — a coil
  17. rock — a stone
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. snap — to click

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