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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ground — a position
  3. bore — to drill
  4. board — to get on
  5. current — happening now
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ground — crushed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. board — a committee
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bore — to tire
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. current — electric
  24. wave — of the sea

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