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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. degree — from a university
  3. board — a committee
  4. season — of the year
  5. degree — an amount
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. season — in sport
  9. object — to protest
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. current — electric
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. object — a thing
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. degree — temperature
  16. object — an aim
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. board — to get on
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. current — happening now
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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