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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: craft · board · staff · ruler · current · tear · arm · sharp

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. staff — employees
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. tear — from crying
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tear — from crying
  8. board — a committee
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tear — to rip
  14. board — to get on
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. current — of water
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. staff — employees
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. current — happening now
  23. sharp — clever
  24. staff — a stick

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