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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · ruler · cold · board · scale · mark · root · sharp

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. root — of a plant
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. root — the cause
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cold — not warm
  10. scale — in music
  11. board — a committee
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mark — a grade
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cold — an illness
  16. root — of a word
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. board — to get on

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