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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. charge — electricity
  3. board — a committee
  4. lean — to bend
  5. row — a line
  6. current — happening now
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — in control
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. row — to paddle
  12. spell — letters
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lean — thin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. charge — a price
  20. board — to get on
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. row — a quarrel

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