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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hand — in cards
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. current — electric
  15. hand — help
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. current — happening now
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. hand — part of the body

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