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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. current — happening now
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lean — thin
  5. row — a line
  6. current — electric
  7. swing — in golf
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. land — a country
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. swing — music
  13. lean — to bend
  14. land — to come down
  15. face — to point toward
  16. board — to get on
  17. stem — to come from
  18. face — part of the head
  19. row — to paddle
  20. land — ground
  21. face — to confront
  22. current — of water
  23. board — a committee
  24. swing — to play on

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