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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. lie — to recline
  3. current — of water
  4. net — after costs
  5. board — to get on
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — the sport
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — for catching
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. net — in sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. current — happening now
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. current — electric

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