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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. current — happening now
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rush — hurry
  5. current — of water
  6. tear — from crying
  7. board — to get on
  8. spell — letters
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. current — electric
  13. spell — a short time
  14. board — a committee
  15. spell — magic
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. rock — music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rock — a stone

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