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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. game — a match
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. game — wild animals

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