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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 124 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lean — to bend
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. board — a committee
  6. bore — to tire
  7. board — to get on
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. current — happening now
  13. wound — an injury
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. game — a match
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — electric
  20. stand — to bear
  21. current — of water
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lean — thin

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