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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. board — to get on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. current — electric
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rule — government
  9. lean — to bend
  10. current — happening now
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. lean — thin
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. current — of water
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rule — a law
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. vault — a safe
  21. dip — to sink
  22. board — a committee
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cabinet — ministers

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