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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — a committee
  3. current — happening now
  4. staff — employees
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — a hat
  7. land — ground
  8. staff — employees
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. row — a line
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. row — to paddle
  17. current — electric
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cap — a lid
  20. board — to get on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cap — of ice
  24. current — of water

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