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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. charge — a price
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. current — electric
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. charge — electricity
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — of water
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. charge — in control
  16. clip — to cut
  17. saw — the tool
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. current — happening now
  21. board — to get on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. hide — animal skin

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