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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. shower — to wash
  3. board — to get on
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. current — happening now
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. chair — a leader
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. board — a committee
  23. drill — the tool
  24. chair — a professorship

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