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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: board · ruler · bank · lie · foot · sharp · field · snap

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. board — to get on
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. snap — to click
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lie — to recline
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. field — a subject
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bank — of a river
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lie — an untruth

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