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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 116 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: rest · wind · firm · mine · board · ruler · bear · snap

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bear — the animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. board — a committee
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. rest — a break
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. firm — decided
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wind — moving air
  17. firm — steady
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. board — to get on
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wind — moving air

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