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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. current — electric
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. board — a committee
  8. ball — a great time
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lie — to recline
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. board — to get on
  13. file — a line of people
  14. current — happening now
  15. last — final
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. file — a tool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. file — a document
  24. foot — the bottom

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