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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lean — thin
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. board — to get on
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. current — of water
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — for catching
  13. board — a committee
  14. net — in sport
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — to bend
  18. current — electric
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. row — a line
  23. net — after costs
  24. current — happening now

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