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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. board — a committee
  3. current — of water
  4. rock — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. race — humankind
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. board — to get on
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. current — happening now
  12. roll — a cake
  13. rock — a stone
  14. shower — rain
  15. current — electric
  16. race — the arms race
  17. roll — a list
  18. race — a contest
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. shower — to wash

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