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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rock — music
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. current — electric
  8. board — to get on
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. board — a committee
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mark — a grade
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rock — a stone
  20. object — a thing
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. board — a flat piece

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