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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. board — to get on
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. wind — moving air
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. object — to protest
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. board — a committee
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. object — a thing
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. object — an aim
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wind — moving air

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