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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: board · foot · hide · dip · straw · mark · wax · ruler

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. board — to get on
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. wax — to grow
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. dip — a sauce

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