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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: wave · cell · leaves · ruler · charge · wound · tear · board

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. charge — in control
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. charge — a price
  5. board — a committee
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cell — in biology
  8. board — to get on
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cell — in a prison

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