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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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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: stick · hand · degree · board · ruler · nail · pit · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. hand — help
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. board — a committee
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. degree — from a university
  17. hand — in cards
  18. board — to get on
  19. degree — temperature
  20. degree — an amount
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pit — a hole
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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