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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. board — to get on
  8. face — to confront
  9. row — a line
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. board — a committee
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. current — happening now
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. face — part of the head
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. kick — in football

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