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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mark — a trace
  3. suit — in cards
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. chest — of your body
  7. current — electric
  8. mark — a grade
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. deal — to handle
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chest — a box
  21. fork — in a road
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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