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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. current — of water
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. kick — in football
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. current — happening now
  8. board — a committee
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. season — of the year
  11. rock — a stone
  12. object — a thing
  13. rock — music
  14. board — to get on
  15. current — electric
  16. object — an aim
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. object — to protest
  20. wake — a trail
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. season — in sport
  24. shower — rain

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