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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. current — happening now
  3. shower — rain
  4. board — a committee
  5. current — electric
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bound — obliged
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bound — certain
  12. current — of water
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rule — a law
  22. squash — to crush
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rule — government

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