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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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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: pop · fork · wound · board · ruler · chair · snap · saw

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. pop — soda
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. board — to get on
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. board — a committee
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. pop — music
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. snap — to click

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