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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: ruler · toast · cabinet · stick · saw · band · sharp · board

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. board — to get on
  4. band — a ring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. sharp — clever
  14. toast — bread
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. board — a committee
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a music group

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