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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. board — a committee
  4. snap — to click
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. current — electric
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fork — in a road
  14. content — happy
  15. current — of water
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. current — happening now
  18. board — to get on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. board — a flat piece

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