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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bound — tied together
  3. board — to get on
  4. current — of water
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. track — a path
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bound — certain
  10. can — a tin
  11. board — a committee
  12. track — a song
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. current — electric
  17. wax — to grow
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bound — obliged
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. can — to be able to
  24. current — happening now

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