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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — happening now
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — to get on
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cold — an illness
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. shower — rain
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. shower — to wash
  18. current — electric
  19. board — a committee
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. prune — to trim

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