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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. net — in sport
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. face — to confront
  9. capital — a city
  10. current — of water
  11. face — to point toward
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. row — a line
  14. snap — to click
  15. current — electric
  16. net — for catching
  17. board — a committee
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. current — happening now
  23. net — after costs
  24. capital — money

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