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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mug — a face
  3. field — a subject
  4. row — a line
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. face — to point toward
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. face — part of the head
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. current — electric
  12. pass — a permit
  13. mug — a cup
  14. board — to get on
  15. current — happening now
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bore — to drill
  18. face — to confront
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mug — to rob
  21. board — a committee
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. row — to paddle

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