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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rest — what's left
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. current — electric
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rest — a break
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lean — thin
  14. row — a line
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. board — to get on
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lean — to bend
  20. row — to paddle
  21. current — of water
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. current — happening now

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