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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. board — a committee
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. current — of water
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. mug — a face
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. current — electric
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. current — happening now
  18. board — to get on
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cell — in biology
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cell — a phone

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