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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mug — a face
  4. stand — to bear
  5. current — electric
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. land — ground
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. current — of water
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. land — to come down
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. shower — rain
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. board — a committee
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. land — a country
  24. trunk — of a car

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