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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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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: field · sharp · rock · board · trunk · wound · ruler · spell

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rock — music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. field — a subject
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. spell — letters
  11. board — to get on
  12. field — for sport
  13. spell — magic
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. field — farmland
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. board — a committee
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wound — an injury

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