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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wind — moving air
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. current — of water
  9. file — a tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bound — obliged
  13. current — happening now
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. race — a contest
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. board — a committee
  20. current — electric
  21. file — a document
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. bound — certain

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