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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. current — electric
  3. board — to get on
  4. current — happening now
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bound — certain
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bound — obliged
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. board — a committee
  16. stand — to bear
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. swing — to play on
  19. clip — for paper
  20. swing — music
  21. current — of water
  22. swing — in golf
  23. clip — a video
  24. clip — to cut

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