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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. board — to get on
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. current — electric
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rock — music
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rock — a stone
  12. sharp — clever
  13. current — happening now
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. board — a committee
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. plane — a tool
  23. kid — child
  24. plane — in geometry

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