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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rule — a law
  4. plane — a tool
  5. game — a match
  6. board — a committee
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. current — of water
  10. board — to get on
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rash — a series
  13. rock — a stone
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. game — wild animals
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rule — government
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — music
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. patient — a sick person

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