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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. row — a line
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bore — to drill
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bore — to tire
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. board — to get on
  11. stand — to bear
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. current — happening now
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. row — to paddle
  24. current — electric

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