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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. row — to paddle
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. board — a committee
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bank — of a river
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. row — a line
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bank — for money
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. board — to get on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. current — electric
  22. bank — for money
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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