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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pass — a permit
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wind — moving air
  8. scale — in music
  9. band — a ring
  10. current — happening now
  11. board — a committee
  12. face — to confront
  13. board — to get on
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. scale — size or range
  17. face — to point toward
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. face — part of the head
  20. wind — moving air
  21. band — a music group
  22. current — electric
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pass — to succeed

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