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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 120 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: lean · wax · hide · spell · ruler · shower · row · board

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a line
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. row — to paddle
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. board — to get on
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. board — a committee
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. spell — magic
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. shower — to wash
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. shower — rain

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