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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. current — of water
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. row — to paddle
  9. root — of a word
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. row — a line
  17. root — the cause
  18. board — to get on
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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