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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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. current — happening now
  6. board — a committee
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. file — a document
  10. board — to get on
  11. craft — a skill
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. file — a tool
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. current — electric
  18. rock — a stone
  19. craft — boats
  20. file — a line of people
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rock — music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. current — of water

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