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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. board — to get on
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. kid — to tease
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kid — child
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. date — the fruit
  13. lie — to recline
  14. current — happening now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rest — what's left
  17. board — a committee
  18. rest — a break

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