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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 · arm · ruler · cold · band · tube · deal · shower

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. board — to get on
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cold — not warm
  10. tube — a container
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. board — a committee
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. band — a ring
  16. cold — an illness
  17. tube — the underground
  18. deal — to handle
  19. shower — to wash
  20. band — a music group
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. shower — rain
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. arm — part of the body

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