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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. board — a committee
  4. rest — what's left
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. rule — government
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rule — a law
  11. rest — a break
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. snap — to click
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. current — electric
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. roll — a cake
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. board — to get on

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