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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rock — music
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. rock — a stone
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. current — electric

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