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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: chip · deal · craft · board · hide · ruler · mark · shower

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — a skill
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mark — a grade
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. chip — to eat
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chip — for betting
  14. craft — boats
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — rain
  24. ruler — for measuring

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