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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. current — electric
  5. board — to get on
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. board — a committee
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. wound — an injury
  15. tube — a container
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. mark — a trace
  19. current — happening now
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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