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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 116 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fork — in a road
  6. board — to get on
  7. lie — to recline
  8. board — a committee
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. current — electric
  15. mug — a face
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. current — of water
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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