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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rule — a law
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. current — happening now
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. charge — a price
  10. current — of water
  11. rule — government
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. current — electric
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. march — the month
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. board — a committee

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