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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rest — what's left
  3. last — finally
  4. board — a committee
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. current — of water
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. field — farmland
  9. rest — a break
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. last — final
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. field — a subject
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — to go on
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. current — happening now
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. field — for sport
  23. board — to get on
  24. rest — what's left

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