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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. current — electric
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rock — music
  7. board — a committee
  8. vault — a safe
  9. current — of water
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. tube — a container
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rock — a stone
  17. current — happening now
  18. tube — the underground
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. board — to get on
  21. mark — a grade
  22. kick — in football
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. kick — a thrill

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