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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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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: bear · lean · shower · wound · tear · board · ruler · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. tear — from crying
  8. board — a committee
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lean — thin
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bear — the animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. board — to get on
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tear — from crying

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